Social Justice, Identity & Meditation with Young Yogi Mel

Melina Oliver, Young Yogi Mel, has a truly inspirational story. She grew up on the west Side of St. Louis, but traveled to a private school outside of her normal element growing up. Her upbringing led her on a path of cultural discovery and self-realization later in life. Now she's dedicate her life to helping others find how to be happy and gain peace through Yoga & Meditation. She's fighting against failing school systems by providing hope to students with The Young Yogi Youth Project. She refuses to give up on youth that have faced systematic injustice and provides them with coping and relaxation tools.

Author: Leah Thomas

Q: Who are you?

Growing up, I always walked a precarious line. I lived in the city, where I was saturated in noise and culture but everyday,  my mom sent me off to a private school thirty minutes away from my home. I sat next to "Becky with the good hair" everyday in class, and I got asked to dances by kids whose rooms were bigger than my kitchen.

I never felt like I had found my niche. At school, I was always a little too brown or maybe a little too culturally confused to ever really feel I belonged. At home, in my hood, I was way too whitewashed to be cool. So, when I went off to college at Mizzou,

"I vowed to decide who I was for myself. "

The only thing I knew about myself then was that I loved to write, so all the trials and tribulations down in journals. They all read like bad telenovela scripts. Interesting, but always a tad melodramatic. I was constantly searching to build an identity on the outside and it showed. After a serious, "WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE"-style breakdown, I prayed for guidance. The next morning, I woke up and googled: "How to Be Happy". A self-help site popped up. It suggested a number of things--therapy, charity work, a nap-- but one, in particular, caught my eye: Yoga and Meditation. That night, I watched a youtube home video. I wobbled through the complex moves, sweated throw the flows, and eventual fell into a fitful attempt at meditation at the end. When I finally opened my eyes, I realized I'd had my first taste of peace in years. I've been teaching and sharing the practice of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness ever since.

Q: What Drives You? 

What drives my passion is understanding. The world is noisy and complex and crazy, and I am all about finding stillness and peace. I believe that when we find that place inside of ourselves that allows us to be true and authentic, we can allow others to do the same. Peace truly comes from within and starts with you first.

Q: What is the Young Yogi Youth Project? 

While constantly learning these tough lessons myself, I am attempting to help others. I started a program at Vashon High School in St. Louis city called Young Yogi Youth Project. Young Yogi Youth Project seeks to teach teens kindness, healthy coping mechanisms, self-discipline, and respect for themselves and others. Through the practice of yoga, meditation, and mindful activities, we encourage young people to commit themselves to their own self-betterment and to be kind to others while they work towards theirs. It's been going six months strong, meets 2-3 times a week, and works with 50+ students.

I love my city and where I'm from, but my mom sent me out to private school because she knew that St. Louis City Public Schools often times fall short. There's a lack of funding, lack of resources, and low faculty retention rates. Not to mention, that St. Louis is a city with extremely high poverty and crime rates. I know high school is hard enough without these issues, and I wanted to offer students in the city positive outlets for stress, anxiety, and personal troubles. I'm also working on a lifestyle blog for the modern/urban yogi that premiered January 2nd. It will feature updates on my program, reviews, blog posts, event listing, yoga videos, and yoga/meditation tips.

Q: What does feminism mean to you?

Feminism takes nothing from men, but takes the limit off women. It demands mutual respect, freedom of movement, and opportunity for both sexes. It encourages sisterhood over separation and opens doors that were once wrongfully shut. It reveals all the ways sexism has hurt not only women, but society, as a whole and attempts to put a stop to that. It respects the intersectionality and differences among all people. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the women, past and present, who have broken down barriers. I'm thankful there are women "audacious" enough to believe that they can do any and everything. To me, feminism is essential and takes care of all of us. It just makes sense.

Keep up with Young Yogi Mel on her social media

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/youngyogimel/

https://www.instagram.com/youngyogimel/

 Are you a Green Girl? Share your story and email greengirlfood@gmail.com

Jet setting & Veganism with Elsa Kurosu

Elsa is a 21 year old college senior finishing up school in Orange County, CA. After spending 12 years growing up in Tokyo, Japan she grew a passion for fashion, food, travel and city living. Feeling motivated by environmental impact and health Elsa made the decision to begin transitioning to veganism. 

Q: What does women empowerment mean to you?

To me this means supporting, encouraging, and motivating the women around you. It means that all women are strong and independent and we have the ability to give each other the support and confidence to pursue our passions and goals.

There’s nothing better than that feeling of accomplishing something or stepping out of your comfort zone and having people around you be proud and supportive. It is also so empowering to see women rise above all the stereotypes and preconceptions of what women really can do.

Q: What drives your passion? 

The constant inspiration I find that sparks my creativity is really what drives my passion. I find inspiration through photos, art, media, and most of all, the people around me. Over these past years in college I have realized how much my peers have impacted me. I have always been surrounded by highly driven and hard-working people, who inspire and motivate me to do my best and believe in myself that I can do anything as long as I set my mind to it.

A few things that I am extremely passionate about include fashion, animals, and environmental ethics.

Q: Why go plant based?

After traveling abroad and taking a class on the water crisis, and following bloggers and youtubers who shared their plant-based diets on social media, I was highly influenced to being my plant based diet lifestyle transition.

I first started my plant-based diet for health reasons and to try to lose weight from eating like a typical unhealthy college student, but later educated myself on all the ethical issues surrounding the meat industry. After being on a plant-based diet for about 8 months now, I definitely see and feel a difference in my body and how I feel after I eat.

Some may think that the plant-based diet sounds boring and not satiating, but I think the complete opposite! There are so many options and delicious food creations that I have discovered through this lifestyle, and it is all so exciting and fulfilling.

Q: How do you live sustainably? 

I always had a passion for environmental issues and I try my best to live sustainably by reusing and recycling. When I go to the supermarket I always take my own bags, and when possible, I choose to walk or take my bicycle to my destination.

I also like to support local businesses, and often make a trip to the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings for some fresh and local fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

Q: What's your favorite song? 

I listen to pretty much everything, but my all-time favorite songs are high energy and uplifting ones like I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston, and ABC by The Jackson 5.

Check out one of Elsa's favorite recipes here and keep up with her journey at the below links: http://www.theendlessmeal.com/zucchini-pasta-with-kale-pesto-pistachios-and-pomegranate/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/elsakurosu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elsakurosu

Linkedin:www.linkedin.com/in/elsakurosu

Are you a Green Girl or know someone who is? Contact as and share your story here

Happiness, Nature, and Eats with Molly Peach

“An amazing thing happens when you get honest with yourself and start doing what you love, what makes you happy. You stop wishing for the weekend. You stop merely looking forward to special events. You begin to live in each moment and you start feeling like a human being. You just ride the wave that is life, with this feeling of contentment and joy. You move more fluidly, steadily, calm, and grateful. A veil is lifted, and a whole new perspective is born.” - Unknown

Molly Peach is a graphic designer from Nashville Tennessee currently based in Orange, California. Her instagram feed @m0llypeach is filled with travel memories, scenic views, delicious foods, and smiling faces. I've had the great blessing to be Molly's roommate my sophomore year in college and she continues to inspire me every day. There's a lot people can learn from her, from her living freely attitude to the delicious foods she eats.

Q: What makes you a Green Girl? 

I actually didn’t consider how my actions affected the environment until moving out west. It seems there’s a lot more of an emphasis placed on reducing your carbon footprint, which I appreciate. I try to consider making small changes such as shopping locally at farmer’s markets, forgoing the plastic bags when buying produce, asking for a digital receipt instead of printed, taking shorter showers, participating in beach cleanups, and other small things throughout my day. I think everyone underestimates the power of small, easy changes we can make to our daily routines.

Q: What drives your passion? 

 I love visiting national parks (Big Sur has been my favorite so far). I also love design and anything creative in general, but experiencing new things with people I love is my number one source of happiness. I focus a lot of my time taking road trips, photographing friends and scenery, cooking, being outside, and, of course, designing. As of now, I’m just trying to get through senior year. I plan on spending some time visiting Hawaii and road tripping through the west this summer before taking on a 9-5.

Q: What's your favorite plant-based treat?

I make these vegan banana blender muffins from Chocolate Covered Katie (

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.

com/2016/04/04/flourless-

blender-muffins-banana-vegan/

)

and add vegan chocolate chips. Bake them for just 15 minutes and refrigerate them overnight, and you will be in love. All of my friends are obsessed with these too. They have more of a dense, fudge consistency that is makes you feel like you’re eating a rich dessert. 

Q: What's your Favorite Easy Recipe?

I love making toast and putting as many toppings on it as I want. It’s super simple but delicious. Lee Tilghman (

www.leefromamerica.com

) is an amazing food blogger and recipe creator in LA and makes BEAUTIFUL meals using toast. She makes one with caramelized bananas and peanut butter that I’m a big fan of. I don’t have exact measurements, but follow these steps:

1. Slice bananas and place in a pan with a little coconut oil. Cover in cinnamon and a bit of maple syrup. 

2. Cook bananas for a few minutes until they are browned but not burnt.

3. Toast some bread (gf, vegan, whatever you’re feelin’) and top with peanut butter and caramelized bananas. 

I also like to top them with different combos like peppers and avocado, figs and almond milk yogurt, etc. 

What does women empowerment mean to you? 

Women empowerment is summed up really well by this poem by Rupi Kaur. It’s called

what’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? 

She says,

“that since day one. she’s already had everything

she needs within herself. it’s the world that

convinced her she did not.”

You can follow Molly and her adventures at the links below:

SOCIAL MEDIA:

www.mollypeach.com

@m0llypeach on Instagram

Blueberry Lemon Cakes with Vegan, What?

Our first featured Green Girl is Stephanie from Vegan, What? Stephanie is a vegan foodie that loves to create healthy and delicious alternatives to her favorite desserts. Her passion for showing others how to make yummy vegan treats is showcased through her colorful photographs and recipes on her website and Instagram page.

"I feel like food should nourish you and that includes cake! Whenever I want a treat, I try my best to make a healthier version. These Blueberry Lemon Cakes are refreshing, tasty, refined sugar & gluten free. Hope you enjoy!" ~Stephanie

Blueberry Lemon Cakes

Serves 3 mini Cakes

Crust 1/2 cup gluten-free oats 1/2 cup dried mulberries 1/2 cup dates 1/2 large lemon (Zest)

Blueberry Layer 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight) 1 cup frozen blueberries

Lemon Layer 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight) 2 Frozen Bananas 1/2 large lemon (Zest) 1 large lemon (Juice) 1 tbsp maple or brown rice syrup

Instructions 1. Take all of your crust ingredients and blend in a food processor until you get a crumbly mixture. Form into your mini springform cake pans. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, or until firm. Rinse your food processor. 2. Drain your soaked cashews. Add your cashews and blueberries to your food processor and blend until creamy. Adding a few splashes of water if necessary. Add your middle layer to your cake pan and freeze for 1-2 hours. 3. Blend all of your lemon layer ingredients in your food processor until creamy. Add your lemon mixture to your cake pans and place them back into your freezer for another 30 minutes to an hour. 4. Topped with blueberries and lemon zest.

You can follow Stephanie and her plant-based journey at the links below:

Website: www.veganwhat.org

Instagram: @veganwhat

Facebook: facebook.com/veganwhat

Snapchat: veganwhat

Add Some Pep In Your Step with Lizzy Peper

Lizzy Peper is the creator of blog Pep In Your Step. She fills her blog with advice on how to live a plant based and balanced life. There's a lot you can learn from her personal journey of becoming a Green Girl. 

Q: What's your background and what are you up to now?  

My name is Lizzy and I am a recent college graduate. I just started my first full time marketing job at Charm City Run, a family of running stores local to the Baltimore area. I am now transitioning from competitive collegiate running to recreational running. Launching a blog has been a dream of mine for a few years; I finally took the plunge and started Pep In Your Step this past fall. I love writing about plant-based eating, running, exercise tips and balanced wellness.

Q: What drives your passion? 

After graduating lot of what I do requires personal determination. I’m not running because I have a coach yelling my splits every lap, I’m not writing articles because they’re due for an assignment and I’m not eating my veggies because my Mom is making me. I’m running, running my blog and cooking because I love to do each thing on my own. I know that all of these activities make me happy so I pursue them. I know to feel my best each day, I need to run a little, work on Pep In My Step some and eat a lot of delicious, fresh, plant-based foods. I do what I do because I do it allows the best parts of me to come through.

Lizzy taking an 80's themed barre class with her mom

Q: What tips do you have for someone who is trying to reduce meat in their diet? 

I think plant-based eating has a lot to do with mindset. If you can stop believing that a meal requires a slab of meat and a glass of milk to be complete, you can begin to discover the variety of plant-based options. You also don’t need to start all at once. Like I mentioned before, I started my limiting my daily meat consumption. Although I wasn’t a huge meat eater to begin with, I challenged myself to prepare meals that didn’t include meat as the protein. This got me thinking more plant-based. You don’t have to suddenly declare yourself vegan one day to make a difference. Instead, focus on small changes that you can make. Follow meatless Monday, pack lunches with plant protein or order vegan or vegetarian when you eat out with friends. If you want more ideas on small steps you can take at every meal to make a difference, you can read the blog article I wrote here.

Avocado Toast Pinwheel "One of my favorite meals is avocado toast with a twist. I like adding black beans for some plant-based protein and sauerkraut for gut health" ~Lizzy

Q: What makes you a Green Girl? 

I truly believe that the most powerful action I can take to help our environment is to eat plant-based. Our current meat and dairy industry practices are not sustainable and this is why I don’t want to support and contribute to them. Your dollar is your vote and by purchasing dairy and meat products we create demand. I want to vote for fresh, sustainable foods that take less land, water and corn to produce instead of products that are unsustainable.

In addition, one of my goals for 2017 is to take other sustainable actions in my daily life such as using reusable shopping bags, bringing a coffee mug to work and selling and buying clothes second hand. I want everything I do to support my environmental rationale for eating plant-based.

 Q: What's your favorite plant-based treat? 

One of my favorite things to make is banana nice cream; you can eat it for breakfast, a snack or dessert! Plus, it’s super simple to make. The only ingredients you need are frozen bananas, coconut water and any other fresh or frozen fruit you want as a flavor. My favorite add-in fruits for flavors are mango and berries. After you blend everything until it reaches an ice cream-like consistency, you can have fun topping your treat with mix-ins like fresh fruit, unsweetened coconut flakes and dairy-free chocolate chips. One of my go-to combinations is a tropical pineapple banana nice cream that is perfect for a post-workout treat. You can check out my recipe here.

Q: What does women empowerment mean to you? 

I think being an empowered woman means that you know you have the strength and spirit to do conquer the world. Anything you feel passionate about can be your reality. You can succeed at any job, take on any adventure and form any relationship that you desire if you build the skills you need. As women, we have the power to achieve any dreams we set.

Q: What's your favorite book? 

When I was younger, I used to gobble up every book in sight. Now, unfortunately I don’t usually take the time to slow down and read a physical book. However, I just got a few new non-fiction and fiction reads that I hope to work into my weekly schedule. The most recent book I read was Where’d You Go Bernadette and it was great! I always enjoy immersing myself in stories that keep you madly flipping pages to find out what happens. If you feel the same, I would definitely recommend this book.

Follow Lizzy and her Plant-Based Journey on her social media sites.

Social Media

Blog – Pep In Your Step

Instagram - @peppysteps

Twitter: @Ellpeps