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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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SoultoSoul Lifestyle Project Inspires A Revolution of Consciousness
By Madhava Smullen   |  Aug 04, 2019
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SoultoSoul (https://www.soultosoulfriends.com/), a new educational lifestyle project based on the principle of simple living and high thinking, aims to inspire people to discover their true selves through food, yoga, sustainability and music. 

Creators and couple Gopinath Bhadra and Britta Eulig hope this will create a revolution of consciousness and give seekers a stepping stone to Krishna consciousness.

Because it’s so easily accessible online, the project could be the beginning of a soul-searching journey for busy professionals who wouldn’t otherwise have time – like Britta herself.

“I was working as a legal assistant for over ten years in Germany, and at some point, I realized sitting in an office from 9 to 5 may not be the purpose of my life,” she says. “I started traveling, met devotees in Australia, and took up the practice of bhakti.”

She then started SoultoSoul with Gopinath, who grew up in the Mayapur and Vrindavan Gurukulas, and is doing his MBA with Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium. The two are currently based in Germany.

Cofounder of SoultoSoul Britta Eulig

Their SoultoSoul website is divided into four sections that follow a clear path of spiritual education – Kitchen, Yoga & Health, Green Planet, and Culture of Knowledge.

“Kitchen” contains the 274-page e-cookbook “Yoga Food,” which features 44 vegetarian prasadam recipes from all over the world. Under the headings “Starters,” “Mains,” “Desserts,” and “Breakfast,” all are free from onion and garlic. There are also vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and low-carb options.  

But “Yoga Food” is not just a recipe book – it’s a lifestyle. The publication encourages people to become more self-sustainable by growing their own organic food, gives tips on how to start gardening from scratch, and describes health properties of various ingredients. There are also articles on the benefits of sattvic practices like offering one’s food to God, and eating with one’s hands while sitting on the floor. 

Meanwhile “Yoga & Health” gives those who may not have the time to go to a yoga studio for a 90-minute class the opportunity to practice yoga anytime, anywhere. The section includes images and detailed text descriptions on how to do a number of asanas, as well as three in-depth video classes with certified yoga teachers, with three more on the way. It also offers details on the physical and mental health benefits of each asana.

The website explains, however, that “Yoga is not about being flexible. The meaning of the word yoga is “union.” The physical poses you know as yoga are called asanas. These asanas have one goal: to prepare you to enter a state of meditation. And that meditation has no other ultimate goal than seeing the absolute truth.”   

Next is “Green Planet,” an online gardening design service, which inspires people to live more simply and to grow their own organic food.

Gopinath Bhadra prepares vegetables for the Kitchen section recipes (left) and designs gardens for the Green Planet section (right)

“A lot of people have gardens, but all they grow is grass,” says Britta. “However they could use this space so much more efficiently, and eat food grown at home, rather than spending the time going to the supermarket and buying food full of pesticides and wrapped in plastic. Since many people don’t know how to transform their garden to grow vegetables, we help them.”

The service has three options. The first is a consultation, in which customers send photos of their garden space and show Gopinath and Britta around via video call. The couple then advise them how to transform their garden on their own. The second is the option for Gopinath and Britta to create the design and send it to the customer. And the third is for the couple to travel to their home and create the garden for them.

“Our bodies are made of five elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether,” says Gopinath. “ When we grow our own food, working with our hands and touching the soil, it brings us peace, frees us from stress, and grounds us. And that puts us in more of a space for self-realization.”

That space leads to the final part of the SoultoSoul package: Culture of Knowledge. Currently on offer there is a music album called “Road to Love,” a modern translation of “Bhakti Yoga.” Of the twenty-three songs, some, written by Gopinath, feature English lyrics about seeking answers, while others are based on ancient prayers of the acharyas.

In the first category are Mr. Why, in which the inquisitive protagonist finds that he is not the body but the soul; Home, about searching for a place where we belong; and Road to Love, about the path of bhakti-yoga – all of which also include the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

Yoga Food, the SoultoSoul Kitchen cookbook

In the second, are Oh Radhe, Krpa Kataksa, Nrsimha Pranama, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, and Sri Krishna Sankirtanam. 

The album, intended to bring listeners closer to Krishna and devotional service, is performed by fourteen international musicians and features the guitar, harmonium, cajon, mridanga, saxophone, piano, and kartals.

After listening to it, visitors can go to the “Philosophy” page in Culture of Knowledge, which presents a highly accessible explanation of Krishna conscious philosophy for newcomers. From there, Gopinath and Britta hope they go on to read Srila Prabhupada’s books and take up his teachings.

As well as introducing new people to a higher taste, the SoultoSoul project is also a community business model that hopes to engage artists, yoga teachers, cooks and other contributors from all over the world in Krishna conscious service, while at the same time providing a balanced income source.

“We don’t want people to feel like they’re working for us,” Gopinath says. “Rather, we’re creating a platform, and we want to collaborate with talented people who have something to offer but don’t have the facility or network.”

In the future, Gopinath and Britta hope to establish a physical base where people can collaborate in person, get yoga teacher training, and more. Until then, they are working hard to get the word out about SoultoSoul. 

“This is the perfect moment, because I think it’s a very special time in humanity’s transformation,” Gopinath says. “Everybody is self-motivated, but they’re realizing that there is a much higher purpose than just the material drive for money or status. They’re looking for true happiness. And we hope a higher consciousness community like SoultoSoul can help them find that.”

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For more information, please visit www.soultosoulfriends.com.  

Or watch these videos:

SoultoSoul Project Trailer: https://youtu.be/B51LbpRt_Rk

Cookbook Yoga Food by SoultoSoul Kitchen Trailer: https://youtu.be/26awW1ubzHE

Music Album Road to Love by SoultoSoul Friends Promo Video: https://youtu.be/8p_JpJGZVS0

Song Preview Music Album Road to Love by SoultoSoul Friends: https://youtu.be/_s_geXn37uY

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