Think of this as a little gift to yourself. A healthy snack that you can take with you when you’re on the run and need a little pick-me-up. Great for before or after yoga or any activity for that matter. Nice for kids lunches, too.

In yoga, prana is life energy that is connected to our breath. In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar says, “Prana means breath, respiration, life, vitality, wind, energy or strength. It also connotes the soul as opposed to the body.” So it’s probably some kind of blasphemy to call this recipe “prana bars,” but if Mr. Iyengar tasted these, I bet he’d forgive me.

The recipe could not be any easier. Throw healthy stuff in a food processor. Shape the mixture into bars — that’s pretty much it.

I used dates, dried cherries, coconut, walnuts, almonds, almond butter and Maca powder. And in case you didn’t notice: NO SUGAR! These babies are sweetened only by the dried fruit and coconut. How awesome is that?

There are so many variations you could do with this. Use whatever you have in your pantry. Dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews…you get the idea. I really like the addition of Maca powder, but it’s totally optional. It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way. Maca is great for endurance, stamina and fighting fatigue.

Cherry Almond Prana Bars

Makes 4 bars

3 Medjool dates, pits removed

1/3 cup dried cherries (tart or sweet)

1/3 cup dried unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup raw walnuts

1/3 cup raw almonds

1 Tbsp Maca powder (optional)

1/4 cup almond butter, crunchy or smooth (I like the MaraNatha brand)

Combine dates, cherries, coconut and nuts in food processor. Process until nuts and fruit are in small pieces. Add Maca powder, if using, and almond butter, continue processing until mixture starts to come together. Check this by taking a clump and squeezing it in your hands, it should stay in one piece. Shape mixture as you’d like, in bars or small balls. Wrap in wax paper, if desired, and store in refrigerator until you are ready to take one to yoga class. Namaste.