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Mo’s Vegan Cranberry Streusel Muffins

Mo’s Vegan Cranberry Streusel Muffins
By Maureen Curtin It's hard to resist picking at the crisp topping of these vegan muffins, which are baked with crunchy, sugary walnuts. INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed 1 tablespoon grated orange peel 2…
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8 Nutrients to Support Immune Function

8 Nutrients to Support Immune Function

Since the start of the pandemic, one of the questions my colleagues and I get often is about what foods to consume to support immune function. It is well known that lacking certain nutrients in the body can weaken immune functions. Some of the immune system’s roles are safeguarding our bodies from infections, getting rid of injured tissue, and monitoring malignant cells. Research indicates that increasing consumption of specific nutrients may benefit immune function optimization.

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Mantra Experience

Mantra Experience
My journal with mantra repetition started many years ago and I had a wonderful experience even though I didn’t have any clue what mantra was. Back them I thought it was a type of brainwash, prayer or cult. I was curious about the practice so I gave a shot and soon enough I understood it…
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The Sunshine of your Heart

The Sunshine of your Heart
https://youtu.be/tceiKraaoYo Life is an unknown adventure. I have been dancing and teaching dance for 30 years, practicing Bhakti yoga for 20 years, and Hatha Yoga for 10. It has been an incredible path of self-discovering and healing for me all together. I was always very attracted to Mantra meditation and Kirtan, and it became one…
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The Sacred Syllable OM

The Sacred Syllable OM
By Brittany Martinez, LTY 200 Hour trainee/2017 The Scared Syllable OM goes way back past the early times of Sanskrit. It is said that reciting this vibrational sounds is the process of emergence from the unconscious realty to the diverse empirical world. Mantra-Yoga-Samhita explains this as, “Where an effect is experiences, there also is some…
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Meditation – Calmness and Awareness

Meditation – Calmness and Awareness
The So Hum meditation is a simple but powerful technique that uses the breath and the repetition of a mantra to calm the mind and relax the body. This meditation will help you move beyond your mind’s worries to the peace of present moment. So means I am and Hum means that.  So hum, I am that, that…
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Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad
This vegetarian and vegan quinoa salad recipe is surprisingly tasty and healthy! Though the recipe calls for cucumber, peppers, and tomatoes, feel free to experiment by adding different veggies such as zucchini, corn or even kale or spinach greens; there's really no wrong way to make a healthy quinoa salad! What You'll Need 4 cups  water instead 1 1/2…
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Meditation

By Nulise Santana, LTY 300 Hour trainee/2016 We all have a little voice in our heads that is constantly commenting, agreeing, disagreeing from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep. And, it's not always the most positive and friendly! Meditation helps to observe that little voice and all the thoughts flowing…
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Yoga and Vegetarianism

By Jessi Koivukoski Lightrail Yoga 300 Hour Trainee Vegetarian diet causes less amount of harm to the planet and all creatures - Unity of all creation - I decided to start my essay quoting another book I recently started reading. It’s a book by Swami Visnudevananda called “Teachings on Yoga Life”. When I started writing this essay,…
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The Growing Seed

The Growing Seed
The post effect of Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training By Yamilet Guntin, LTY trainee/2016 There was a monk who wanted to get enlightened so bad that he decided to go up a mountain thinking that hermitage was going to help in the process. While climbing the mountain he found a master Zen coming down with a pile…
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Asana…

By Michael Ortiz, LTY trainee 2016 When looking at the 8-limbed approach of Astanga Yoga, the 1st limb we reach after the moral and ethical code (yama/niyama) is Asana.  Although the Asana practice is but briefly mentioned in the Yoga Sutras and even at that it is referring more to the seated posture for meditation, for…
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Why is important a yogic diet?

Why is important a yogic diet?
By Karla Garcia, LTY trainee 2016 When we begin practicing yoga it infuses not only to one part of your life, but your whole life. It is a whole life commitment to awareness, compassion, and attaining the union between your atman (your pure soul) and purusha (pure universal consciousness). One of the keys of a…
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Yoga & Recovery

Yoga & Recovery
By Michael Ortiz, LTY trainee 2016 One of the primary reasons why I am completing the 200hr RYT training is to bring this amazing and inspiring practice to the recovery community and to share the gifts that I have received thru practicing Yoga. Having 12 years sober myself, I have lived through recovery with and without Yoga and I…
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The Business of Yoga

The Business of Yoga
By Ashley Jugo, LTY trainee/2016 After having a discussion today with a fellow yogi from the teacher training, I learned about the business side of yoga. I hadn’t given much that to it, as business itself sounds so official and not such a yogic concern as yoga is about asceticism, non attachment to material things…
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Gentle Chakra Meditation

Gentle Chakra Meditation
By  Christina A. Demetre, LTY trainee/2016 Make your way into a comfortably seated position. Gently close your eyes, and bring your awareness to your breath. Begin to soften into your body, and allowing your mind to ease. Connect with the ground below you. Allow yourself to feel the support.  With each inhale, feel it meet…
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My Yoga Experience with Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training

My Yoga Experience with Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training
By Ashley Jugo, LTY trainee/2016 I cannot believe the teacher training is about to end. I am continuing to observe, assist, and teach classes. It was has been such a privilege to be part of Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training, to go on this journey discovering myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, and everything in between. I learned…
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Broccoli Pasta, Vegan and Gluten Free

Broccoli Pasta, Vegan and Gluten Free
By  Christina A. Demetre, LTY trainee/2016 You just got home from a crazy day. You're tired and starving. Your mind is at the point where you have zero interest in putting a ton of effort into making dinner. You also love broccoli, ok well maybe not, but I can eat it in probably every meal.…
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Discernment vs Judgment

Discernment vs Judgment
By Elena Gamez, LTY trainee/2016 Something that I constantly work at is not judging. Being judged doesn’t feel good. One would think that if one acknowledges this for oneself that it would be easy to not fall into the pattern of judging others, but sometimes we do so unconsciously. I believe this is one of…
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A tale of spirits and discovery

A tale of spirits and discovery
By Yamilet Guntin, LTY trainee/2016 Science is a beautiful thing, but spirit is both beautiful and necessary. I was born in a country that was surrounded by spirits, I remember my great grandmother going to her knees every night to pray her rosary but I also remember her telling me about the spirits that were all around us…
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Meditation and Controlling the Restless Mind

Meditation and Controlling the Restless Mind
By Carolita Hernandez, LTY trainee/2016 A beginner's journey into finding stillness in a windstorm Developing a sound meditation practice has been at the top of my "to do" list for a while.  At different points of my life I have attempted to nudge myself into a regular habit of meditation, knowing good and well that I would…
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Injury As Practice

Injury As Practice
By Christina Demetre, LTY trainee/2016 The last few years I have been a die-hard yogi, going to class almost every day. It did not matter that my massage work schedule was all over the place; I always found time to show up. That power hour or 75 minute class was MY time. It is also important to…
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Being Pregnant While Certifying in Yoga

By Cristina Cernuda LTY trainee/2016 When I made the decision to certify in yoga the thought of getting pregnant couldn’t have been further from my mind—but it seems that’s when these little miracles happen; always when you least expect it. The news was received with incredible joy and relentless excitement, but a small part of me…
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GRATITUDE… Thank you

GRATITUDE… Thank you
Wow this teacher training has flew by so fast. One minute it's the first day of training, I'm meeting my fellow trainees for the first time and i blink my eyes and next thing i know we are already towards the end teaching our own classes, and i feel like i have gained a new…
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Why Vegan?

Why Vegan?
The Spiritual Side of Veganism/ Why Vegan as Taught by Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training There have been many times at work or with friends who offer me food that isn't vegan (a piece of birthday cake) and they tell me "Come on, just eat it don't be so strict on yourself" as if being vegan…
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Taking a Step Back

One of the biggest hurdles in yoga can be the Ego. When your body is telling you to take it easy in your physical practice, your Ego is sitting on your other shoulder whispering, "Don't be lazy." The Ego tells you to bind your arms in a pose when that means collapsing your torso. It…
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My Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training Experience

My Lightrail Yoga Teacher Training Experience
Yoga teacher training has opened up my mind, my heart, and my eyes. I have learned the power of a deep complete breath and how it helps me when life becomes to much at times. The end of August, our first weekend seems like so long ago because I've learned and changed so much. I'm…
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Teaching my first yoga class

I was so nervous the day of my first class, so i did some meditation before it began. This helped calm me, but i still had butterflies in my stomach. I got the sequence memorized i was just worried that i would mess up during or not offer a fulfilling class. Time to start the…
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Kirtan

I've had quite a few yoga classes over the years where a teacher added a small amount of kirtan. Usually just a few minutes, sometimes in the beginning of class, sometimes at the end. I would see "Kirtan Events" pop up on facebook, and I didn't really get it. I'd think, isn't that just part…
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Raw Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Fall season is here! That means bring out the pumpkin recipes! My special recipe is vegan and raw, PUMPKIN PIE CHEESECAKE. I made it for the first time last Thanksgiving for my family, (who is not vegan) and they went crazy over it. It is so delicious and creamy you would think it is a…
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