Soul Food
“If you want to know me, look inside your heart.”― Lao Tzu
New Moon Arrived: Thursday, January 29, 2024 at 1:27 AM. PST, we are in LUNAR CYCLE 13. At the Equator, we are entering into Cycle 12.
Sol + Luna Cycles: The Winter/Summer New Moon Musings, Silent Meditation and Sound-Electromagnetic Therapy. If inspired, Pause, Be and Listen.
Contemplation:
What are your true colors?
Are you in harmony with your soul?
Where can your soul serve self? others?
Time Stamp: Dharma Moon Musing :00, Meditation :19:00, Sound :44:00 and Outro 1:22:0
Heart + Mind Food
Emotional Intelligence + Objective Awareness
Humanity is being invited to become self aware, transform (heal) and embody love (kindness), compassion, empathy and peace. Which intern invites you to practice these efforts too. First, you can ask yourself this simple question, Are you sincerely motivated from within to know thy self? Ultimately meaning, you want to acquire and hold a deeper motivation to be an instrument of peace, love (kindness), compassion and empathy. All of which will require you to practice patience with self and others as you learn how to retain ‘awareness’. If the answer is YES. Then, you are ready to practice the following efforts daily. These practices will cultivate Objective and Emotional Awareness.
How?
Observe yourself daily. Observe that which is in an around your daily life from waking into sleep/dream states. Observe without attachment and/or judgement. This practice will assist you in preparing for your meditation practice and live in objective reality. It will also give you a deeper look into your relationship with self and the world around you. These observations will awaken your additional senses that will naturally guide you back to states of calm, peace and love. These states of being are what will assist you in retaining objective awareness.
Emotional Intelligence. Daily check in with all your emotions as they naturally rise, shift and retract during the day. Make the commitment to utilize your emotions as a unique way finding device from within and to the outside world. As you observe your emotions, you will start to have a deeper connection to your and others unresolved and resolved ‘stuff’. With this emotional information you can become an active steward for peace by simply offering love, compassion and empathy for yourself and others as the response to every situation. When you practice retaining objective and emotional awareness you will start to unlock the power you hold within you.
As inspired, Retain Awareness.
Body Food
Sweat Therapy, Svedana, the sauna provides an ideal setting for heat therapy. When you sweat, you will release toxins (Ama) and increase feel good chemicals. The heat in the sauna will increase your body temperature and blood flow to areas of the body that have been predominately cold and/or stagnate. Heat therapy can be enjoyed daily, if your constitution will benefit.
Who benefits from heat therapy? You will benefit, if you have, cold conditions, stiffness, dry conditions, numbness, congestion, constipation, stagnation, depression, anxiety, worry, cognitive delay and/or swelling. In Ayurveda the heat would benefit a person with a Vata (a wet sauna) and/or Kapha (a dry sauna) constitution. The word constitution is a reference to your physical, mental and emotional body. The doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, refer to the area of your constitution that is historically where you display an elemental imbalance or balance with nature. For example, if your skin is historically dry this could suggest that you are depleted of water and your circulation is slow or stagnate. Alternatively, you could have excess of Space + Air from a busy mind and body. The result dry skin from speeding up your electromagnetic field and creating restriction in your entire being. Imagine a bird flapping its wings so fast that it stops all forward motion. This would create excess and depletion of certain element(s) in your system resulting in an imbalance. The wet sauna (in this example) will bring in the moisture and heat to improve your circulation coupled with the balancing of your skin, muscles and fascia.
Doshas: Ether (Space) + Air→ Vata ~ Fire + Water→ Pitta ~ Water + Earth→ Kapha
Contraindications: Exist if you tend to physically run hot and/or have a lot of fire in your emotional body, Pitta. The sauna could aggravate your system. If you tend to be fiery and still want to sit in a sauna, shorten the duration. Use a wet sauna vs a dry one.
Possible Benefits: improve circulation, improve digestion, relax muscles and fascia, improve fluid motion, clear/soften skin, reduces cortisol, calms the nervous system and reduces swelling.
Spiritual Benefits: the sauna like the sweat lodge is a perfect place to meditate, pray and/or welcome cleansing in all aspects of self: spiritual, mental, physical and emotional being.
“The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.”― Lao Tzu, Te-Tao Ching
Mind You + Food
Peruvian Side or Starter Baked Patatas (Potato)
Serves 6 -8
Ingredients
12 baking baby potatoes, scrubbed and pat dry
Olive oil, to brush on potato skins
Sweet paprika and oregano, to sprinkle on potato skins
Salt (coarse preferred) and pepper (chili pepper if you like)
Butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F., 45 minutes (until soft when you press on them)
Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork and bake them in the middle of the oven for 45-55 minutes. Place in a roasting dish and lather with olive oil. Connect with the potatoes as you rub them down. You might even smile and send them some love. Then, place in the oven.
Remove them from the oven and place a towel over to let them rest.
Gently cut the potatoes open and place butter inside, add paprika, salt, and pepper.
Then brush with a small amount of olive oil and place back in the oven for 9 minutes.
Place on a platter and serve. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, pine nuts and oregano. Dust the potatoes with paprika. Enjoy.
Paprika
Paprika. A red pepper friend with a range of flavors and temperatures. Smokey, sweet and hot sensations inviting you to discover within the deeper essence the prepared dish. Paprika history origins suggest these peppers started in Central America, Mexico (5,000 to 6,000 years ago) and South America, Peru and Bolivia (6,000 to 8,000 years ago). From here the dried peppers and ground spices were transported to Spain (15th Century), India (15th-16th Century), China, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan and Hungary (16th-17th Century). Which has lead to these pepper plants to be cultivated around the world.
With the range of flavors created from paprika, this makes it a unique and versatile addition to many dishes from around the world.
Like many spices, paprika is nutrient rich and reduces stress internally. Furthermore, paprika has been know for strengthening and protecting your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being. Areas that have been noted to benefit form this vibrant spice are bones/joints, stomach, digestive system, eyes, skin and reproductive organs.
Dishes, Blends and Sauces that work well with Paprika:
Deviled Eggs, Shakshuka, Spice Rubs for BBQ, Vedic Spice Blends, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Chili, Lentil Soups, Goulash, Chicken Paprikas, Lecso, Patatas Bravas, Paella, Tortilla (Spanish omelet), Mole, Chile Rellenos, Carnitas, Sausage, Curries, Tandori Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Stir Fries, Curry Paste, Tom Yum Goong, Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba, Kimchi, Bibimbap, Laksa, Nadi Goring and Marinades from all directions.
Energy: Purifying. Paprika contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Paprika helps to purify the blood and support a healthy heart. Paprika contains vitamin E, the health benefit has been shown to help the body to produce red blood cells and heal wounds.
Want to learn more, send me a message to find out if this spice would benefit you.
May each moment be filled with JOY, Peace and a lot of LAUGHTER. .sT