Category: Travel

Bhakti Fest Yoga|Dance|Sacred Music Festival 

Bhakti translates as love and devotion. This fabulous festival is four days of camping in the starry California desert, or spending your stay at Joshua Tree Retreat Center practicing meditation and yoga to live musicians, singing kirtan and dancing barefoot to the likes of MC Yogi and Donna Delory until late at night. 

My whole heart is filled with so much happiness to be at Bhakti Fest. 
For those who like to keep the yoga and mantra mix going, White Swan Records offers innumerable soundtracks for the yoga of life. 
Coconut Bliss served delicious scoops of pure delight. Cool, creamy bites of salted caramel, ginger cookie, and hazelnut chocolate kept yogi and yogini faces more than relaxed, chilled and happy while vibing to the mystic afternoon beats of Girish. With an eclectic mix of rock, indian and reggae inspired rhythms, every artist set us off into a state of bhavtastic bliss!  

Bhakti Fest as a whole was  awesome. Part of what made it so powerful was that the entire sacred festival revolved around live music. It has been envisioned and talked about how Bhakti Fest is as a spiritual Woodstock, where thousands of people come together, chanting the names of God. 
Krishna Das has said that in India, people understand that God is within. The Hindu images associated with God, deities like Krishna and Hanuman and Ganesha, are symbols of the divine that live in each one of us. Chanting the names of God from any tradition is sacred because each repetition is said to be a seed, and sooner or later, that seed grows.

The seeds of love were certainly sent out with rain showers and rainbows in the early morning sky. It was breathtaking to look at and a rainbow has such a powerful message to convey. Lovely to gather there with a cluster of new friends, sitting on lawn chairs and blankets, singing along with other music artists, everyone dancing and spinning. Fantastic evening concert and such a transforming event @ Joshua Tree Retreat Center. 

We LOVE Bhakti Fest!! 
love, #krishna 

   

I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting Crime

Oh he sure will find you!! Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, star of Homicide Hunter, a former Colorado Springs Police Department detective who solved 387 homicides in his career. 
He is featured on the Investigation Discovery television show  Homicide Hunter, where he recounts stories of cases he has solved. Lt. Joe Kenda shares his deepest, darkest, and never before revealed case files from his 19 years as a homicide detective. 

#1 New Release in Law Enforcement His new book I Will Find You reminds us that crimes like these are very real and can happen in our own neighborhoods or even in our backyards. Joe Kenda’s stories, insights into the actions and motivations from the criminal mind and behavior take you on a day to day journey of real life homicide cases and how he solves them. 

Intuitively sharp Lt. Joe Kenda is by far one of our most beloved detectives! 

Thank you for all that you do on this planet. 

love, #krishna 

Harvest Full Moon in Pisces

The full moon today Wednesday September 6, 2017 is at 13° Pisces. First harvest time of this new eclipse cycle. The astrology of the Harvest Full Moon suggests that it will have an impact on your hopes, dreams and on your love life. Full moons have long been associated with myths and legends and Native Americans gave a distinctive name to the one that occurred each month. September’s full moon is known as the Harvest Moon or Corn Moon because of it occurring at a time when crops were harvested and farmers could work by the light of the full moon. It most commonly occurs in September, but the name is given to the full moon closest to the autumn equinox, which can fall during October once or twice every decade.

 

The Moon is very happy in Pisces. (which also occurs in conjunction with Pisces ruler, Neptune) amplifying the energy of Pisces and making it even more important for us to be sweet, gentle, kind, and caring. This placement in natal charts has certainly brought out some powerful and influential women in the field of medical science and healing. The lunar lesson here is to tap into your own inner guru. Use your increased emotional strength and intuition to overcome challenges.

 

Sun opposite Moon “Virgo-Pisces” brings attention to your close relationships and how they are influenced. Others may try to bring you down by attacking your private life. The two weeks of this moon phase will be an especially sensitive time. Be very clear to yourself and to others about your intentions. Under the Full Moon we might feel especially thirsty for the waters of Spirit. Yet, we might also find that our thirst is being quenched through tidal waves of intuition, dreams, epiphanies, release of tension.

Every Full Moon marks an energetic peak, which shines a bright beam on whatever is coming full-circle in our Life, highlighting realizations, culminations, manifestations in the world of five senses; yet, with Pisces, it is subtle, holographic, and divine.

 

Revelations and realizations will arise from that lunar space that simultaneously permeates and transcends reality; that immaterial space where the voice of the heart echoes undisturbed. As the veil between worlds grows thinner, the intuitive knowledge and guidance that flickers from beyond will appear closer than ever, to the point of feeling more realistic than the so-called real world itself. The meta-physical plane, on the other hand, will be remarkably alive and vibrant with inspiration, and the limelight of the Full Moon will work as an ethereal channel to the Spirit world.

love, #krishna

 

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Ten Ways to Throw the Best Labor Day Party EVER

Summer where are you going?!! While the end of our favorite season may be coming to an end, that’s all the more reason to enjoy one last summer party of the season. In Southern California that doesn’t really mean putting away the grill, but even here lots of us like to get one last cookout in before fall hits.

In honor of Labor Day, we can’t think of anything more appropriate than a backyard BBQ and Pool party. Gather the friends and fam, while putting these 10 DIYs to use for the most unforgettable party of the season.

 

Pick a Theme 
Labor Day weekend is a popular weekend for cookouts, weekend getaways and pool parties. To celebrate these last few days of summer, start planning a theme for your Labor Day party.

 

Labor Day is about celebrating patriotism and having a theme can help highlight all things American.

 

Whiteout themed party: For those of you who are unaware of the Labor Day white rule, it goes like this: you’re not supposed to wear white after Labor Day. Some people believe that this rule applies primarily to white shoes and others believe that all white items are a faux pas after Labor Day. A lot of people ignore the rule completely. Wherever you fall in the “no white after Labor Day” spectrum, a Whiteout party is a great way to poke a little fun at “the rules.” Ask your guests to wear as much white as possible and have fun with this party theme yourself. You could incorporate white into your decorations and party menu as well!

 
Red, White, and Blue party: Ask everyone to wear red, white, and blue! Incorporate the colors of the flag and use the theme in your decorations as well by having American flags, stars and stripes, and the colors displayed throughout the party space.

 

DIY Labor Day Ideas 

 

1. Summer Fruit Kabobs : This weekend-Summer ain’t over! A fruit garland kabob will be a fun addition to your outdoor party scene.

 

2. Pool Party Movie Night: Set up your very own outdoor movie theater and entertain guests with a fun summer movie.

 

3. Watermelon on a Stick: Labor Day is synonymous with the end of summer and summer is synonymous with watermelon…

 

4. DIY Pineapple Table Runner: Yup, it’s happening. A DIY pineapple tablescape is pretty much inevitable since we still can’t get pineapples off our mind.

 

5.  Fruit Ice Cubes: For a backyard party, these fruit ice cubes will be a colorful way to add some flair to everyone’s drink of choice.

 

6.  Veggie Sliders Party: It’s not a BBQ party unless sliders are involved! The best thing about these vegetarian bite-sized veggie burgers is that they can be customized with all different kinds of toppings and sauces. Make sure guests come with an appetite.

 

7. Tomato, mozzarella and basil skewers: Take full advantage of your Labor Day party to serve lots of grilled dishes. Some great ideas for your Labor Day party menu.

 

8. Make-your-own ice cream sundaes: Plan to roast s’mores, give them jars to catch fireflies, or set up a Make-your-own ice cream sundaes with a variety of flavors and toppings.

 

9. Seasonal Fruit Pies: Saying goodbye to grilling weather also means saying goodbye to summer fruit, so Labor Day is the time to get in one last cherry pie, blackberry cobbler, or strawberry ice cream. If you have been spending too much time thinking about the homemade pie seasonal fruit pies, simple strawberry shortcakes, or an effortless angel food cake is a great way to celebrate the end of summer.

10. Summer Strawberry Pie: When we are in the mood for pie, usually we gravitate towards this ultra-summery pie. The filling is made of strawberry puree, macerated berries which gets poured into a simple graham cracker crust. This preserves the fresh flavor of the fruit. If you want the flavors of a traditional cooked pie without having to deal with a crust then cobblers would be the next best choice. Fruit filling covered with a biscuit crust. Cobbler is filled with blackberries, raspberries, and a pinch of cinnamon. The raspberries are there mostly to help round out the flavor of sour blackberries, so you can use 100% blackberries if they are sweet enough.

 

Decorate for the Occasion

Present and display fun, festive, and casual decorations for Labor Day parties. Use the colors red, white, and blue as a guideline for party accessories, balloons, plates, cups, and everything else you think of for decoration. Aside from focusing on the American aspect of the holiday also tie in some classic Picnic decor such as rustic centerpieces filled with seasonal flowers and classic picnic table covers over each tabletop. You could also finalize your decorations with lighting to create a wonderful ambiance. Lanterns or tiki torchlight’s are perfect for any outdoor party.

Stay relaxed while you entertain on this three day weekend! Happy Labor Day

love, #krishna

 

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3 Ways To Gain Self-Esteem

The mind is at the root of most of our issues and problems, especially low self-esteem. Whenever you attempt to move forward in your life, it is the mind that sends the message of critical, judgmental and self-destructive thoughts. 
You are not your thoughts so no need to be afraid of upsetting your own mind. 

Daily meditation gives you a chance to witness how your mind pulls you here and there during your daily activities and in order to develop a relationship with your mind is becoming a witness to your thoughts and refusing to react or act until you are clear.

Trust. You have been given your own inner authority, your own inner compass that is guiding you through time and space. 

love, #krishna 

Navigating New York

New York City “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” NYC is renowned for its iconic buildings and larger than life energy. It has some unwritten rules which allows the city to operate at supreme efficiency and presents a straightforward grid, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get where you’re going. Here are five awesome tips for finding your way around the city with our navigational guide.

 

1.) Fifth Avenue splits NYC’s streets between east and west. The reason the trick above works is because Fifth Avenue splits the east and west sides of the city. Addresses change by the hundreds every avenue.

 

2.) Odd-numbered streets go west and even-numbered streets go east. Additionally, odd-numbered buildings are on the north side of the street and even-numbered addresses are on the south. (On a north-south street, odd buildings are on the west side, and even ones are on the east.)

 

3.) The color of a station’s subway tiles can tell you if you’ve missed an express stop. Seriously, there’s a secret code hidden in the city’s subway stations.

 

4.) The address of a building can tell you what avenues it’s between. For addresses on the the west side, just add the first number of the address (zero if the address is only two numbers) to 5 for the lower cross street. For example, 225 W 37th St. (2+5=7) is between Seventh and Eighth Avenue. For the east side, just subtract 5 from the same number for the highest cross street. So 150 E 18th St (1-5=-4) is between Fourth and Third Avenues.

 

5.) Use the lampposts in Central Park. Central Park is enormous and it’s easy to get lost. But here is on easy trick, that will help you get your bearings. Most lampposts have a set of numbers engraved on their base that match up with the cross-streets you would be on if the street extended through the park.

 

 

 

 

Become comfortable exploring the city on your own. It’s one of the best ways to learn the neighborhoods and find hidden gems.

love, #krishna

 

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Goddess Guidance

Our intuition is the Universe’s way to communicate with us. Once we have cast a spell, the Universe will respond by sending us the people and circumstances we have asked for. So it is important that we listen to our gut feelings, particularly in the days and weeks after casting a spell. When we follow our intuition, the Spirits will lead the way.

So how do we know what is intuition and what is merely our imagination? That is what this goddess spell is about. We will create a lucky charm which we can keep with us to receive clearer guidance.

 

What you need for the intuition spell:

1 small pouch (medicine bag)

1 crystal quartz

1 amethyst crystal

5 purple candles or tea lights

1 small piece of paper and a pen

Sandalwood incense

 

Start by placing the five candles around you in a circle. As you light the candles, invoke the Spirits and ask for protection and connection during the goddess spell. Sit in the middle of your circle. Light the incense. Breathe deeply and relax into a meditation, with your palms open to receive the Universe’s energies. You are going into your Higher Self to receive a symbol that represents your higher wisdom.

Set this intention as you visualize your mind climbing from your Third Eye out through your crown and higher up, above your head. This is your 10th chakra, where you Higher Self resides. Go into this place, feel your mind merging with this chakra. Breathe, relax, let it flow. When you are ready, ask out loud or in your mind for clearer sight, clearer mind.

Ask the Universe, Spirits, Angels and Guides for guidance as you listen with a sharper ear, and for them to heighten your intuitive to receive messages more clearly.

love, #krishna

 

 

 

How To Take Better Family Vacation Pictures

Family holiday is one of the most greatest moments in the year that you want to remember with photographs.

It’s a great time to document your family story because you are all together, having fun, you visit new places, and you have time. Preserving those memories is fantastic for the older and younger kids too, to know what they were a part of.  And how enjoyable is it to look at the photo album and retrieve the good memories throughout the year! But if you want to get some good snapshots, ones that you will love to go back to, you need to think a little bit in advance and prepare here are a few suggestions on How To Take Better Family Pictures. 

 

1. Have fun. Look for unique angles such as carefully climbing high above your subjects, or getting the camera low to the ground for a change in viewpoint. Take both video and stills when you do this for more variety.

 

2. We’ve all run out of power at one point in time or another but doing so while traveling can be crushing. Make sure your batteries are fresh (if your camera uses Alkaline batteries) and fully charged (if your camera uses rechargeable Li-ion ones)

 

3. Bring extra media cards. You don’t want to face the decision of having to delete images or video clips to make room for new ones in the middle of your vacation.

 

4. Shoot your food! It’s simple to take a fabulous shot of a mouth-watering plate of food by zooming in tight on the dish. This is a fun photo you can take to remember the delicacies you enjoyed on your trip.

 

5. Take a variety of photos: This will help you tell a more complete story of your trip.

 

love, #krishna

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5 Fun Ways to Surprise Your Husband

A surprise gift could easily be the best way to surprise your husband as birthday celebrations are approaching or if you just want to do something sweet for your man, read our five fun ways to surprise your husband. He will love it!

 
1. Create a photo slide show or music mix mp3 for him. Pull together some of his favorite photos and select the music that both represents your relationship.

 

 

2. Give him a ‘just because’ gift. You don’t have to spend tons of money to come up with a creative gift he will love.

 

 

3. King for a day. Let him write down his perfect day for you, what would be written on that list? Then spend an entire day to do as many things on that list as possible.

 

 

4. Make a love trail. Use rose petals, or his favorite candy, whatever he loves to lead him to a special place where the two of you can be alone under the full moon in the beautiful moonlight.

 

 

5. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Throw a dinner party and invite his favorite people to come celebrate him with you. It could be his closest friends, colleagues, family, and others he’d enjoy having dinner with and who love him enough to celebrate.

 

 

Every woman, once in a while, could surprise her husband. Little surprises will not only make your husband happy, but they also add spice and change up the routine in your marriage.

love, #krishna

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