This recipe is nothing fancy, yet it is worth bragging about? What is there to brag about? Here are the list of bragging rights:

• it's delicious
• it's easy
• it's affordable
• it dirties minimal dishes
• it's versatile 
• it's nutritious 
• no expensive equipment required (whisk and bowl)
  
  

I am a big believer that if I am going to prepare a sauce, I need to be able to use it multiple ways. Almost every salad dressing that I make is versatile enough that it can be enjoyed in a wrap, as a dip, on top of cooked vegetables, drizzled on a baked potato, I think you get the picture. Tahini is one of my favorite ingredients because it is nutritious, affordable and easy to whisk by hand without using a blender or food processor.

What goes in it?

1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1/2 clove finely minced
1 TBSP liquid aminos (soy or coconut), soy sauce, tamari, or nama shoyu

Blend or whisk - add any other spices that you enjoy. I personally put pepper in just about everything. You may like citrus juice, coriander, mustard or anything. Don't be scared to experiment. If you want it thicker use less liquid. Should store for five days in an air tight container.

1. NUTRITIOUS FOOD
   Fuel yourself with food in its natural state, unprocessed, and a wide variety. Plant food that is rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals helps your body do the job it was intended to do - to heal and prevent disease. Food that was designed by companies to have a long shelf life, create addicts (lifelong customers), and maximize profit are NOT designed to help your body do its job. Sure, they may provide calories which give us energy, but most processed foods have excess calories and are deficient in nutrients. Keep it simple - a variety of colors, raw and cooked, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts!
   
   
2. STRESS MANAGEMENT
   Chronic stress can make you sick. Stress is our bodies natural response to change or triggers in environment. Stress triggers our sympathetic nervous system "fight or flight" response, to protect us from perceived dangers. Let's face it, most of us are not in danger most of the time, but live perpetually in "fight or flight" mode based upon our thoughts and worries. It is imperative that you find ways to activate your parasympathetic nervous system "rest and digest" response. Meditation, yoga and breathing exercises are a great way to undo the physiological damage from chronic stress. I tell clients every day that if you are eating healthy and exercising, but chronically stressed out, your immune system is compromised leaving you prone to disease.  Come to one of our donation based weekly meditation classes if you are new to this!
   
   
3. QUALITY SLEEP
   Never underestimate the power of a good nights sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect your health and happiness on a deep level. Much cellular repair that our bodies require take place during sleep, as energy can be allocated to other functions when we aren't walking around, talking, and doing our waking tasks.  Inadequate sleep is associated with accelerated aging of the brain, impaired cognitive function, elevated cholesterol, increased blood cholesterol levels, and obesity according to studies. So, don't feel guilty about sleeping - consider it a gift to yourself contributing your overall health. And when you are healthier that benefits all your loved ones as well!
   
   
4. LOVE & FRIENDSHIPS
   Us human beings are social creatures, even if you don't consider yourself to be social. Meaning we get feelings of pleasure including a dopamine response in our brain's pleasure center when we have satisfying interactions with others. You don't have to have a million friends, maybe you even enjoy interactions with companion animals, such as cats and dogs.  "We are creatures of community. Those individuals, societies, and cultures who learned to take care of each other, to love each other, and to nurture relationships with each other during the past several hundred thousand years were more likely to survive than those who did not. Those people who did not learn to take care of each other often did not make it." -Dean Ornish
   
   
5. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & SUNSHINE
   Physical activity is vital to keep your body operating at its best! There are all sorts of physiological functions that occur when you exercise including cancer prevention! Not only does exercise help you maintain a healthy body, but it also provides a pleasure endorphin response in the brain, helping ward off depression.  Better yet, physical activity combined with some sunshine can make you feel high on life! Our skin converts sun exposure (specifically UVB rays) to Vitamin D (actually a hormone), which is proven to prevent all sorts of  chronic diseases. During the summer months get outside a few minutes every day and let your skin do its magic job of taking in some rays and making them do their job!
   
   Back to exercise now: physical activity is NOT optional, but if you don't like going to the gym that is A-OKAY! You can do anything that you enjoy. If you have been very sedentary and are just starting to get up and moving, it may feel uncomfortable in the beginning. You may wonder how anyone could ever enjoy it! I promise that once your muscles, lungs and heart get stronger you will then wonder why you waited so long to start. If you aren't sure how to begin, just put on some of your favorite music, get up off the sofa and start dancing! Sound silly to you? I think staying sedentary is much sillier, so lets get that body moving!

As I mentioned above, there is a synergistic relationship to all of these five behaviors. If you start eating healthy and hydrating, managing stress, sleeping well, exercising AND spending some time with friends you will feel like a superstar! I think you should get started right NOW!

~ Monica

I have been asked so many times why we choose to offer yoga by donation at PuraVegan. How does it work? Why do we do it? Here is a little background on our offerings in case you haven't visited or don't know the story. Our little cafe has an adjoining small yoga studio that you access from the dining room. The studio is small, simple and modest. I'm not the best at decorating and I cannot afford to put in beautiful flooring (YET!), but I absolutely LOVE my little space. When you take class in our studio you are likely to hear blenders going in the morning buzzing with acai bowl goodness, or live jazz, african drums, or opera singers in the evenings from our next door neighbor, The Tavern of Fine Arts.  Our studio holds a maximum of 15 students - and that is tight.  Students can donate whatever amount they can choose.

When I first opened the studio in 2011, we charged class fees similar to other studios. At the time there were many other yoga studios in St Louis, however there were far fewer than exist today. We are in a neighborhood that has a very wide range of people with greatly varying economic resources. I'll never forget two experiences that led me to change over our model from a for-profit yoga studio to donation based. 

The first month that we opened we offered all classes for free and they were packed! I remember one elderly woman that lived in the neighborhood kept walking back and forth past the studio window one day while I was teaching. I finally looked out to see that she was walking by to observe what poses we were doing, and then walking down out of my view to do the poses on the sidewalk. I stepped outside and invited her in. She told me that she always wanted to try yoga, but couldn't afford class. She had no idea that class was free at that time so I invited her in.  She stayed after telling me that she felt intimated due to her age and physical abilities but wanted to learn more if she could save up the money. It pained me to learn that I had put a business in her neighborhood offering classes that could change her life, but she couldn't afford to continue.

Our classes vary greatly from teacher to teacher, as we don't mandate any sort of teaching style.  We have been so blessed with kind and patient teachers at our studio.  It takes a very special person to offer their teachings, offer their time, and to hold the space each week without any expectations of what they will receive in return. 

So if you are still reading you probably wonder how teachers get paid. Our instructors receive 100% of the students' donations for weekly classes, whether the donation is made with cash or credit card.  So now you probably wonder - how can we make money off of this? Well, we don't. We do benefit that many students will enjoy a juice or meal before or after class, however we could probably financially benefit more from using that space for a store or expanded cafe seating. Offering yoga to the community is our vision and has been since day one.  As long as we have students coming we plan to continue with this model. 

We want to change and improve lives at PuraVegan Cafe & Yoga and are determined to continue this path. Stress and poor diet is an epidemic in our culture and we want to help anyone that is interested to find balance and learn to manage their life through breath, food and community. Please join us!


written by Monica Stoutenborough
CLICK HERE for our current donation yoga schedule. 

1 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter
2 TBSP Braggs Aminos or Soy Sauce (or Tamari)
 1 TBSP agave (optional)
 2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of 2 orange
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ginger powder

Whisk ingredients in a bowl.
Serve over noodles, vegetables, in a lettuce wrap, or as a dipping sauce.

* To make thinner for salads use less peanut butter and more orange juice.
* To make it thicker for a dip use more peanut butter.