How does Oprah Winfrey accomplish so much during her day? She is OWN network’s head and Harpo production company chief, Queen Sugar executive producer, Greenleaf actress and producer, philanthropist, Weight Watchers spokesperson (who bought a 10 percent stake in the company in 2015), and still manages to get in an interview here and there and live a life.
Even something as routine and, often, overlooked as birds chirping in the morning can be a moving experience for the media mogul, who now strives to live a life of being full present in each moment. “I’ve reached a point in my life where I actually pay attention to every breath,” she says.
This deliberate focus begins the moment Oprah wakes up, which she does each morning filled with a sense of gratitude. She considers this morning ritual a big part of her spiritual practice.
“My spiritual practice is that I awaken and the first thought is, ‘Thank you,’” Oprah says. “The next thought is, ‘I’m still here, in this body.’
“My heart’s desire is to want to live and be in this body, fully present,” she continues. “To everything. To all beings. To all things. To not miss this experience of being here, now, on the planet we call Earth.”
“I walked away feeling fuller than when I’d come in. Full of hope, a sense of contentment, and deep joy. Knowing for sure that even in the daily craziness that bombards us from every direction, there is — still — the constancy of stillness. Only from that space can you create your best work and your best life.”
As far as what fuels her day, Oprah loves to start off with her signature breakfast bars. Here’s the recipe below:
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil melted
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons Rice Milk
2 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Sunflower Butter
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons Aluminum Free Baking Powder
1 1/3 cup Brown Rice Flour
4 tablespoon Maple Syrup
3 cups Gluten-free Oats
2 tablespoons Flaxseed
1/4 cup Buckwheat Groats
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup Dried Cranberries
Directions
Grease 9×13 pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Measure out separately: pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, oats and buckwheat groats. ‘ ‘On cookie sheet, spread out pumpkin seeds and oats. When oven is preheated bake pumpkin seeds and oats for 11 minutes. Add flaxseeds and buckwheat groats to baking sheet and bake an additional 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
With hand mixer, mix together brown sugar, white sugar, mashed banana, sunflower butter, coconut oil and rice milk until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together cinnamon, nutmeg, Kosher salt, baking powder and brown rice flour. Add these to the “wet” mixture and mix on medium until incorporated. Mix in maple syrup until absorbed. Using a spoon, fold in the oats, flaxseed, buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds and cranberries until evenly distributed.
Put mixture into greased pan with parchment lining the bottom and bake at 350 for 14-19 minutes. It will be firm to the touch and toothpick will come out clean. Let cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in sealed container on the counter for 2 days or freeze.