3/4 cup Club Soda
Frozen, unsweetened fruit, your choice
1/2 orange, peeled, cut into chunks
Place ingredients in a blender beginning with Club Soda.
Blend until smooth.
Serves: 1
Note: Using frozen fruit eliminates the need for crushed ice. No sweetener needed, unless…
Eric Paskel teaches yoga to inmates at San Quentin, creating a “prison break” without ever leaving the prison.
It was not a hard sell when my teacher, Swami Parthasarathy, told me during one of our first meetings, “The whole world is a prison, and your only job in life is to get the hell out.” I did not even have to ask what he meant or where he got that information, because I knew I have always been in some kind of cell or another. According to Vedantic philosophy, freedom is defined by one’s happiness not being connected to any external agencies, i.e., people, places, and things (the world). Bondage (prison) is defined by one’s happiness being dependent on people, places, and things.
Consider Your Own Prison
I have never once, not even for a split second, felt happiness that was not connected to something in some way. Check it out: ask yourself if you are happy. If you said yes, there is most likely a reason linked to it. Hence, your happiness is because of something, someone, somehow. Believe it or not, that is not happiness. Why, you ask? Because whatever is making you happy has a shelf life! It may go away, or the pleasure you get from it will fade. But one way or another, everything in this world has a shelf life, even you! Ask your friends and family the same question, and if they respond, “I’m great,” ask them why they are happy. They will have a reason which will not be, “I Am.”
I do not care how big your prison is or what amenities you have. I do not care if you have a television and a nice kitchen in your cell. I care about getting out of jail! Sure, it may be easier gaining the grace I am looking for in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I live, than it is in San Quentin State Prison. But every day, Beverly Hills folks imprison themselves and in San Quentin, inmates are finding freedom.
Finding Freedom in San Quentin
I visited San Quentin in March after having lunch in Marin County, California, with my yoga agent and friend Elana Maggal and photographer Robert Sturman, who made this visit/yoga class happen. The irony of pulling into San Quentin five minutes after dining in one of the most expensive suburbs in the country was astounding. Yet knowing what I know about freedom, I smiled and said to myself, “You are just leaving one prison for another.” I prepared nothing and had zero information about what was expected of me, not even how long the class was going to be. I quickly discussed with James Fox, the head of the Prison Yoga Project, what I could expect from the inmates. Before I could take it in, we were standing in the yard of the infamous prison, without an armed guard. Our only armor was two yoga mats!
The students entered class on time, participated in setting up the room (there were tables and chairs everywhere), introduced themselves, and then sat peacefully on their mats. The mats had to be set up in a semicircle, because the students are on high alert when someone is behind them. I was not allowed to walk around the class or adjust anyone. “Doing that could trigger a PTSD or fight-or-flight response, ending in harm,” I was told. I was, as were the students, completely at ease. The students were fully engaged throughout the entire class. The level of commitment on their mat was second to none. They listened to every word I said, and I could see them processing the philosophy in every breath. Yoga was being practiced! It was not in the poses. They understood all too well that yoga is not about posing. It’s about getting out of jail! We created a prison break without ever leaving the prison. I could feel their deep hunger for personal freedom, and that was their gift to me. Teaching yoga to anyone, anywhere, is a joy for me, but it’s not always easy. Teaching at San Quentin was effortless.
Finding Freedom Everywhere Else
In suburbia, there is a different kind of prison. It’s one where there are no bars, yet many are stuck in a box. The difference is awareness. The student in jail knows he is there. If he wants out, there is an attitude and energy that drives him. As for the rest of us, we do not see ourselves in prison, so there is no sense of urgency. There is a lackadaisical approach to life, to our yoga practice. Even those reading this are reading it for the most part for their entertainment, not their enlightenment. Therefore, teaching yoga to those who are unaware that they are not free is like prying gum off the bottom of a shoe. It’s a tough job and being a yoga teacher does not in any way place you above the people you are teaching. I see it the way the yoga scriptures lay it out: We are all in the same boat, until we are completely out of the boat.
I know one person who is free. But because I am not, I cannot really be sure of it. I just know he is different, and everyone else I have ever come across is the same. A conditioned person cannot know what being unconditioned is like until they are unconditioned. It’s like sobriety. An alcoholic cannot possibly understand sobriety, until he is sober. I am not sober, so to speak, and that brings me back to the beginning of this story … our only job in life is to break out of jail, to know our infinite self, to reach our ultimate state of pure peace, bliss, and wholeness.
I want to be free and by God, it’s difficult. I feel the bars even though I cannot see them. They come up when I lose what I love, or get something I do not want. The walls cave in when I feel threatened that something of “mine” will be taken away. I throw myself into solitary when I covet the careers of others or cast stones at those I do not approve of.
There is much to do in order for me to gain my freedom. The good news is I have the key: it’s me!
Be sure to catch the Live Be Yoga Tour when it stops by Eric Paskel’s Electric Soul Yoga studio in L.A. on July 9th and visits San Quentin later this summer.
From: www.yogajournal.com
4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 ounces non-dairy cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)
Preheat oven to 400°
With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan.
Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add beans and beer, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer.
Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions.
To serve, slice into wedges.
Serves 6
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups rolled oats, not steel cut
1/2 cup cashews, finely chopped
Serving suggestions
toasted potato buns
avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
vegan mayonnaise
pickled red onions
green lettuce leaves
Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place on baking sheet, fitted with parchment paper and roast for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine sweet potato, Worcestershire sauce, onion, and chickpeas.
Remove mixture to a large bowl and add the rolled oats and cashews and mix to combine.
Form into five patties using an ice cream scoop.
In a heated, large sauté pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add patties and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes, flip and cook another 4 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
Makes 5-8 burgers, depending on size
Note: use a plastic lid and plastic wrap to help form the burger patties into perfect rounds.
Recipe inspired by the television program, The Chew.
My first music memory wasn’t of a cartoon or Disney movie. It wasn’t of nursery rhythms or holiday tunes. My first music memory… rocks. My father set me down in front of the stereo with enormous speakers, put the needle on the record, cranked the volume to 10, and what I heard next has been with me ever since. The sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle shifting through all five gears on its way to take off was shattering my ear drums. As that bike drove off in the distance, the drums and bass came kicking in as the intro to Steppenwolf’s, “Borne to be Wild”, seeped into my soul (I was 3 or 4).
Years later at 30, I was doing an experiment with yoga, 90 classes in 90 days. I was on a quest to find out why I hated it! One of the most important findings was that yoga is extremely rhythmic and soulful, yet it wasn’t being presented that way. During class, I would hear songs in my head that would fit beautifully to the flows we were working on. I could picture and feel the room ignite if a certain song was on to whatever it was we were doing. I spoke to my teachers about playing music in class, but they were not having it. I saw a need; yoga that rocks. I never thought I would be the guy to bring it to life. But one day I was asked by my sister’s friend to teach a class to help her get over her fear of going to a studio.
I hadn’t taught a class before, and I had only been practicing yoga for nine months or so. I made a “mixtape”, brought a yoga mat and a jam box, and history was made! Within months of teaching Sabrina, “Yoga Rocks” was created. It has opened the door to folks across the world whom otherwise would have never tried yoga. It has inspired thousands of teachers to teach this style of yoga along with an unimaginable amount of students who went from dragging themselves to class, to excitedly going and shaking their ass. Yoga Rocks has made its way to stadiums and festivals. It’s gone as far as having DJ’s and live music wrapped around a yoga class.
When looking at my career and all the incredible life changing experiences I’ve been a part of, none of them would have happened had I not said the wise words of Rage Against the Machine: “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.”
It wasn’t easy being insulted by students and frowned upon by peers. But it would have been much harder being a coward and not listening to that voice inside me that said “this is what you must do”. I’m very proud to say that I have inspired so many teachers to teach with real, meaningful, kick ass music. Yet, I’m humbled by all the lives that have been touched by yoga because the music made it more accessible. I’ve been called the “Godfather of Yoga Rocks”. But I’m no Godfather. I’m more like the OG (Original Gangster)!
E to the mutha f^^king P.
I was born on February 22, 1968. I was reborn on January 24, 1986, and yet again on
April 1, 2004, and September 26, 2013. Yet, I am sure I will be reborn again in this lifetime. A rebirth comes from a complete paradigm shift. It is truly when the world you live in, the operating principles that guide you, change entirely. This can be initiated by external circumstances. But in order to be reborn, one must renew their inner constitution.
The first 18 years of my life I suffered. I never knew a comfort in my own skin. I never experienced an ounce of content. I was swept up in what others thought or felt about me. I wanted to alter my state daily. I knew everything and I wanted to die. My first rebirth came as I walked into Drug Rehab, January 24, 1986. Thirty days later, with a lifetime of work ahead of me, I was reborn. I wanted to live. I knew nothing. I was concerned about what I thought about, not what others thought. I was content with a conversation, a smile, a meal, and a good night’s sleep. I felt, for the first time, real and genuine. I wanted to be in the state I was in.
Rebirth is possible. In fact it’s probable, if and only, when you want to exercise your true greatness. I am not talking about talent. Talent, in many cases, is not only an obstacle to find your greatness, but it kills. I am talking about your godliness. That is simply the magic in you. The incredible power that we, as humans, possess. These days, days are spent chasing mundane dreams by humanity. I see people, including myself, achieving goals and fulfilling dreams, only to find they still are not full!
Become born again! Make a total shift. Know that you don’t know! Surrender. No more chasing and racing through life. Cease and release the need to control, to look “good”, to pretend, or to hide. Be real! Do the work you know you need to do and learn what you don’t know! All of this may sound overwhelming, but it all starts with one powerful choice. Choose to really live and choose to get help in doing so. You want to see a different world? You will the moment there is a different you.
We are travelers, seekers, fighters and lovers. But all in all, we are humans. Come be human with us.
Peace,
EP
What should I get my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary, I asked my lady? “Duh, Goobi (term of endearment), get your ass there and spend some time with them”, she answered. Rina was right. The best gift a child can give their parents is spending time with them.
My trip is a surprise. On the plane ride to Florida my excitement builds, as I write down some thoughts that are running through my mind on what it takes to stay with someone 50 years.
I have spent the better part of 30 years studying relationships, and of course, have had a variety of them myself. I would love to tell you that my marriage is together, but it’s not. What has come together is the understanding of what we all need to know about holding a “until death do us part” vow.
The list I have compiled was forged from the space of upholding the pledge of “until death do us part”. Everything else in the marital contract, in some form, and at sometime, will most likely not only be broken, but shattered. Are you ready? If so, check out some of the reasons these incredible marriages have lasted!
1. Forgiveness is the only action a couple needs to perfect. Since neither person in the relationship is perfect, imperfections will show up in many forms. None of which will be fun, necessarily, for either person, and for some, those imperfections may seemly be intolerable. Forgiveness is the cornerstone to any successful relationship, especially a marriage, in making it last a lifetime. Everything has to be forgivable to make things liveable! Mark Twain says “Forgiveness is the fragrance a violet sheds on the heel that crushes it”. Think about that! Live it! Then you will find it easy and freeing to forgive.
2. Two Lanes: There are only two lanes on the marital highway. One is staying married. The other one is leaving! You have to choose the staying married lane over and over again. That has to be more important than anything else that happens in the marriage. There is a glory and a story that one can only have by staying in it. There are so many chapters to the story and you have to be steadfast on finishing your book. There will be many tragedies and triumphs throughout your story. There will be times of despondency, as well as, emotional, physical and financial bankruptcy. There will be births, deaths, laughs, and celebrations. All the while, you need to keep choosing to stay in that lane. Those that leave may find incredible loves, but they will never know if their choice was a good one, because they left before the story was over. No one who leaves will ever find out what it would have been like to stay. It’s a huge commitment! Staying is huge! It may end with one or both parties not being entirely happy. However, if either one truly understands the value of holding that space for decades, then, that in itself is an experience that cannot be matched by any other in this world.
3. Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear! Need I say more? Of course there may be fear, but fear never overtakes either one of you. Fear never dictates decisions. In short, it never wins the war. Some battles yes, but not the war.
4. Loyalty and Stubbornness: These qualities came straight from the horse’s mouth. When I asked my father how did you two manage to stay together for 50 years? My father responded, “I am too loyal to leave and Marlene is too stubborn”. After reflecting on that statement and what my father truly meant, it made perfect sense. I call it L.A.F., which stands for loyalty, allegiance, faithfulness. All of these words can be found in the other words’ definitions. They are one in same. One could substitute them for leniency, affection and friendship. Point being is that you have to have many laughs and hold the principles of L.A.F.
5. Never say Never: I have seen marriages explode because one or both parties unintelligently have created a deep seeded belief of what should never be acceptable. I am not suggesting I know your moral compass. I am stating that “I would never stay with someone who cheated on me” along with other such statements, are guarantees that a marriage will not last. In a long term relationship, you have to take things as they come. You have to be willing to see through many different lenses, and have an in depth understanding of the human condition. By saying, “I do” forever, you cannot say “but I won’t put up with this shit…”
I tip my hat to all who have somehow, someway, held their marriages together. Few realize that the relationship they dream of, is just that; a dream. Reality is a long lasting marriage with many nightmares. There is no fantasy. The fantasy is thinking it will be anything less than the most difficult thing you will do in life. However, the more difficult it is, the more gratifying the work will be. The reward from staying in a marriage is not just what the couple feels, but the gift of wholeness that they give to their families, their friends and their community. In a fragmented world with so much divisiveness, married couples give us unity. The more unions that stay intact, the more unions that will be created.
Thanks to all who make it their life’s commitment to grow a successful marriage.
Peace,
EP
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons nondairy butter
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Soup
Heat oil with butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides.
Cook squash, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
Add lentils and water and simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Cilantro oil
Purée cilantro, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender.
Serve soup drizzled with cilantro oil.
Note: Soup, without cilantro oil, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled.
Serves 4-6
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and sliced lengthwise into four 1/2-inch thick planks
1/2 cup BBQ sauce, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and sliced into thin wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices non-dairy provolone or mozzarella cheese (1/8-inch thick slices)
4 ciabatta or hoagie rolls, split and toasted
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 pepperoncini peppers, from a jar, thinly sliced
Position oven rack six inches from the heat source and preheat broiler on high.
Line broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Brush eggplant slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Arrange slices on foil-lined pan.
Broil eggplant until browned and soft, about 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss mushrooms and red onion with oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and reserve.
Remove broiler pan from oven, flip eggplant slices, and brush with 2 more tablespoons BBQ sauce.
Scatter mushroom mixture around the eggplant on the pan and broil until browned and soft, about 3 minutes more.
Add 1 slice of cheese to each eggplant plank and continue to broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 2 minutes more.
To assemble the sandwiches, brush the top toasted half of each roll with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and each bottom half with 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce.
Layer an eggplant slice, some mushroom mixture, and a few slices of pepperoncini on the bottom of each roll.
Close the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Note: Makes 4 sandwiches
You must be logged in to post a comment.