Healing Chai

Chai tea is a marvel in our world. In India it was originally made simply with spices and milk but it was the British who introduced the black tea to chai making. The recipes are many indeed depending on the region and the tradition of the chaiwala (the tea maker and seller).

When I first traveled to India, oh, some 20 years ago chaiwalas served chai in small clay pots. I think I just wanted to taste what was in those small cups. Indians make their chai very sweet and it is easy to become addicted to your daily or twice daily chai.

There are in fact quite a lot of benefits to chai drinking. The cinnamon in chai may prevent high blood pressure and can help to balance your blood sugar. It is therefore excellent for reducing weight. Black tea also helps to lower blood pressure and blood sugar.

Cardamom is an anti-oxidant and can also lower blood pressure. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help with your digestion. It can also help to balance blood sugar.

And then there is Ginger! What can’t it do? It can help with nausea, menstrual cramps, migraines, helps with muscle pains, is beneficial for diabetics for its effect on the blood sugar, it can help with fatty liver and help with weight reduction. It is basically your miracle spice.

I like to add a tiny bit of turmeric, a pinch will do because it has anti-inflammatory properties and I am a bit of a golden milk kind of girl.

Vanilla is great for taste, but vanilla is actually great for the respiratory system, so it is an important spice to add to your diet at this time.

Ingredients

2 x black tea bags (rooibos tea if caffeine is not your thing)

1 x cinnamon stick

3 x pods of cardamom (use the seeds inside the pods)

2 x slices of fresh ginger

pinch of turmeric )optional)

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract or a pinch of vanilla powder

1 tsp of raw honey (more to taste)

2 cups of raw milk or milk of your choice

In a saucepan, heat the milk and add all the spices. Don’t boil the milk. Add the tea bags and turn the heat off. Strain the tea into two cups and add the honey. Honey really is best consumed raw so you want to be careful not to cook it.

Enjoy.

Ayurveda: The Science of Life

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient holistic system of healing, in Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “the knowledge of life” (ayur means life, while veda means science or knowledge).

The principals of Ayurveda work with the body’s innate intelligence to promote natural self-healing. Ayurveda uses diet, exercise, massage therapy, various treatments using medicated oils, medicated baths, steams, sun bathing, meditation and yoga to achieve results. Ayurvedic diets and lifestyle concepts are customised depending on one’s body type which in simple terms is called a dosha. T he Ayurvedic lifestyle is based on rhythmic changes found in nature, including the patterns of the sun each day and the changing seasons.

Ayurvedic Medicine

In Ayurvedic medicine, health is a state of equilibrium with one’s self and with the environment. Addressing the whole person on all levels is Ayurveda’s key. Food is a major component.

Ayurvedic diet

Ayurvedic diets are based on ancient medicinal practices. They promote “holistic” balance in the physical body and mind. The diet works on nourishing the tissues which are enhanced or aggravated through the taste sense.

Benefits of the Ayurvedic diet include:

• Improved digestive and metabolic processes

• Improved heath of the gut/microbiome

• Weight management

• Enhanced detoxification

• Less anxiety and more inner calm

• Fertility and sexual/reproductive health improvement

• Efficiency in the excretion process (help passing bowel movements

• Decreased inflammation leading to better physical mobility

• Overall health and wellness

What are the Ayurvedic body types?

Ayurvedic medicine has several key foundations that pertain to health and disease. These concepts have to do with universal interconnectedness, the body’s constitution (prakriti), and the life forces (doshas).”

In Ayurveda, the three doshas are vata, pitta and kapha. The doshas correspond to different body types, tendencies, personality traits and nutritional needs. Each dosha is made up of five basic elements, they are ether, air, fire, water and earth. Every person has a unique combination of the three doshas that determines his or her physical and psychological characteristics. The aim of Ayurveda is to prevent imbalances in the doshas which are due an unhealthy lifestyle such as too much or too little exercise, chronic stress, seasonal fluctuations and environmental and dietary toxin exposure.

Vata

Tend to be thin, have smaller bones, not to put weight on easily and struggle with digestion. Vatas are creative, open-minded, curious and energetic and can also be fearful and stressed as well as being “scatter-brained” at times. Vata energy plays a role in essential functions, including mobility, motion, circulation and breathing. Vatas are susceptible to mental obstacles like including fear and grief, and health problems, like neurological disorders, insomnia, arthritis and heart disease.

Pitta

Have a medium, athletic build. These dosha body types are usually smart, hard-working and ambitious or driven. They can be competitive, angry and aggressive at times. This body type energy plays a strong role in metabolic functions, digestion, absorption of nutrients, body temperature and energy expenditure. Pittas are prone to overexertion, hypertension, heart disease, infectious diseases and digestive conditions.

Kapha

Tend to struggle with weight gain and have a bigger, solid build. Kaphas are lovely people and they are stable and supportive but they can be lazy, insecure, envious and sad at times. Kapha energy plays a role in lubrication, fluid balance, nourishment, rest, relaxation, caring for others, reproduction and building strong immune system. Health problems that kapahas may deal with more often include diabetes, cancer, obesity, fluid retention and respiratory illnesses.

As Ayurveda, the knowledge of life is such a vast topic, you can read more about this vast topic.

Carrot Juice

In the old days when juicing wasn’t popular and when fasting meant that you drank only water for a period of time, carrot juice was the juice of choice in the health world. Mainly because carrot juice has so many benefits which range from improving your eye sight to being a remedy for cancer. Carrot juice boosts our immunity, helps to detoxify the liver and is amazing for your skin. Slowly over the years, we began adding other ingredients such as ginger, apple, oranges and lemons. Try this recipe, you can of course leave out the chilli if that is not your bag. But I’m certain you will enjoy this.

Ingredients

5 medium sized carrots

2 oranges

1/2 thumb ginger

1/4 thumb turmeric

1/4 lemon

1 chilli (red or green - optional)

Wash all the ingredients and run through a juicer. The quantity of ingredients can vary from time to time depending also on how you like your flavours. You can also add a little green apple.

Living with uncertainty

Even though there really is no certainty in life, there never has been and there never will be, we do normally have a sense of certainty regarding our lives. We normally make plans for the future and then go about our day to day lives fulfilling those plans. In business and in our personal lives. And, for a while, we had a certain knowingness that we could function within our way of life even if that is a collective constructed reality. With this sense of certainty we feel that there is solid ground beneath us both psychologically and physically and this helps us to pursue our desires.

In the back of our minds we know that life is impermanent. We know that our comfort in the usual is somewhat precarious even as we allow the illusion of certainty to carry us forward into what we hope for in our lives. The fact is, most of us have not trained our minds to accept the fact that uncertainty is constant.

All of us can agree that the events of the past year on a global scale came as a surprise to say the least. I myself was on a major trajectory of getting busier and busier without giving myself much time out. My energy and passion for my work and for my personal life was unfailing and I was single-mindedly driven to fulfil all my plans. I really do love my work. After all, as Kahlil Gibran has said: “Work is love made visible.” And I really do love my life. All of a sudden we were forced to stop, we could not leave our houses, many of us went into fear and panic and the world began to look like a very dark place. We all collectively agreed to hold on until this pandemic had passed and waited for the moment to breathe a sigh of relief. But, it did not pass as quickly as we had hoped. Each of us grappled with grief and loss as our lives have inextricably changed. Essentially we have been forced out of our comfort zones and so, how do we move forward in this uncertain reality?

What helps is if we contemplate the very nature of life. That it is constantly changing just like waves in the ocean. One moment, the ocean is the wave, the next moment it is the wake that follows. Continuously moving. The important thing here is to reflect, recognise and remind ourselves that certainty is ever elusive. With such insight we are able to find equilibrium within ourselves knowing that uncertainty is part of life and over time nothing can really sway us as we develop a deep inner flexibility.

Here is a wonderful opportunity for a deeper practise to realise this inner freedom. To be present in the eternal now moment. Our minds do keep pulling us back into either the past or into the future but if we can train ourselves to be mindful of the present moment, the present feeling, the present thought… then it is possible to keep reminding ourselves over and over again to come into the present now. It is here where the juice of life is. We never enjoy the future in our minds as much as we do when we arrive and the future is never what we imagined it would be. It is better to be present. That is not to say that we cannot dream of a more fulfilling future, we definitely must dream in order to create the lives of our choosing. But we must also understand that the spiritual life requires from us that we hold to our centre. When we hold to our centre, it doesn’t matter what the external environment is, we will always manage to remain present.

Vegan Vietnamese Spring Rolls

My partner and I travelled to Vietnam a few years ago very excited that we would be able to try this amazing cuisine. When I mentioned to anyone who had already been there, every single person said that the food is utterly sublime. The guidebooks spoke of Ho Chi Minh City that the locals still call Saigon, as being a hub for beautiful food - the Paris of Asia. The internet was ablaze with praise for this awesome country and its food. We arrive one Saturday evening, starving of course, to find a street vendor who was selling the legendary pho and promptly sat down. We had learned the words for “vegetables only”. Pho is a clear broth made with spices, herbs and noodles. As you sit down you are brought a beautiful clear broth, and on the table there are as many green vegetables as you can eat which you add to your bowl as you wish. It was a hot evening at a night market and we bought a beer (yes I do drink beer once in a blue moon) from across the street to enjoy with our pho. We were in heaven.

The next day we struggled to find vegetarian food that was not processed. We began to realise that pho is made mainly with beef and so for dinner, we made a bee-line for our heavenly pho vendor. We discovered that night that the pho we had eaten the night before was in fact a beef pho and due to our lack of Vietnamese language, something was lost in translation and we made our pho pas, excuse the pun! We were horrified that we’d eaten part of a cow the night before.

One can only laugh really, and it is these kinds of experiences that gives us a story to tell. Plus this story is the foundation of this summer roll recipe. It’s as authentic as it can be without any fish sauce. I think it is delicious.

The ingredients are clean and super variable. You can add pretty much anything to your liking. Here’s what I had in my kitchen. You really don’t need a lot of veggies for these. Just small amounts. There are two dipping sauces here because I couldn’t decide which one to go for as I felt the taste for both. I now realise that the recipe calls for both.

Vietnamese Spring Roll Ingredients

1 Small Red cabbage (or mixed white and red) finely sliced

1 packet of smoked organic tofu cut into strips

1/2 Carrot thinly sliced

Green chilly finely chopped

1/4 Yellow pepper

Handful of mung bean sprouts

Handful of coriander

Handful of Thai basil, purple basil and normal garden basil (Any will do)

1 Avocado (I forgot to add avo and I think it would have added to the flavour)

Rice paper wraps (You can get these from most supermarkets these days or from Asian shops)

You will need a bowl of hot water to dip the rice papers in.

Dipping Sauce

2 Tbsp tamari

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or lime juice

2 Tbsp hot water

1 Tsp raw honey

1 Tsp finely chopped ginger

1 Tsp chopped green chilli

Pinch of sesame seeds

Peanut Sauce

2 Tbsp peanut butter (make sure it does not have additives)

1 Tbsp tamari

1 Tbsp red rice vinegar or lime juice

1 Tsp chopped garlic

1 Tsp chopped ginger

1 Tsp chopped green chillis

1 Tsp dried red chillis

1 Tsp honey

2 Tbsp hot water

Pinch sesame seeds (I used black but white will do)

Summer Rolls

Chop all your ingredients into strips. In a bowl of hot water immerse your rice papers in for just a few seconds. 3 seconds is enough otherwise they will soften too quickly and become sticky. Remove from the water, place the rice paper onto a plate. Add layers of each ingredient. You just need a couple of each. Roll your spring roll by turning up the sides first. If you roll is too soft and floppy, you can just add another rice paper.

Dipping Sauce

Mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Peanut Sauce

Mix all the ingredients. Leave out the chillis and sprinkle them on top. If you would like more chilli then you can chop some chilli, add olive oil and keep it separate for those who don’t like it spicy.

Change is the only constant

"Falling into an unknown future, and accepting the fact that it is unknown, is forever the price of true freedom."

- Pamela Eakins

A lot is shifting and changing in our world. Each of us will be experiencing these shifts in our own ways depending on how well we have cultivated our individual ability to live with uncertainty. There really is no right or wrong way to live. How we live is a matter of free choice. What we choose to place our focus and energy on is a matter of what we feel at the deepest parts of ourselves, what resonates with us. This word ‘resonance’ is interesting because it speaks of an energy frequency or vibration.

“Everything is energy and that is all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy, this is physics.”

- Albert Einstein

This puts the power to live the life of our choosing firmly in our own hands. Once we begin to realise that we are empowered to choose our own frequency, our lives begin to take on a very different picture to what we are told by society in general. To be clear, society does not stand around with a finger stating how it all works, no. That would be funny. as if society were some kind of external god. The ever elusive instruction manual for life. No, we are told through the subtle messaging through the behaviour of our parents and guardians. How they related to each other and to the world. Through their relationships with their siblings and their friends and the world at large. These messages were subtle and unspoken, imprinted through our experiences. It is where our belief systems stem from. And in a changing world we realise that if we are to navigate our way forward, we must certainly begin to unravel the unconscious belief systems we all hold. It is these unconscious programs that we carry through our lives that we must re-reprogram or heal according to what it is that we want to create in our lives.

Acceptance

Part of moving forward and healing our past begins first with an acceptance of the fact that the future is unknown. We cannot possibly know what lies ahead tomorrow. What we can do is observe life and learn the immense lessons that life is willing to share with us at any given moment if we are paying attention. Acceptance brings with it a deeply empowered state of mind. It says; “ok, this is what it is and I have choices.”

Acceptance allows us to see into the situation as it plays out in the present moment. As we accept the new reality, we are able to delve into and adjust our feelings and perspectives around it and find a clear way forward. We surrender to the process of change just as a tree surrenders its leaves in autumn and then stands naked through the winter months. When the time is right, the tree very naturally begins to sprout new leaves and is fresh and new again just like spring. The tree doesn’t resist letting go of its leaves. It is nature that guides us through the most uncertain times. Whatever we are feeling, it is nature that brings us back into alignment with our deepest selves. Once we have navigated our way through this process of change, we understand that we are forever different yet, more aligned with our inner being.

Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreat

Our Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreats are specifically designed to help move you forward in your life. The process that we go through on every retreat is a deep process of cleansing at every level to become clear about our own feelings and perspectives and that these can be changed at will once we are clear what they are if we so choose. We have found that our method of fasting works on the many layers of our being. Starting with the physical body which is inseparable from our mind, our emotions and our psychological point of view. If you only wanted to clean out your body, lose weight and make lifestyle changes, you would achieve this on our retreats but you will get so much more as the process has far reaching effects for your whole life.

What is healing?

With the new normal of social claustrophobia and anxiety and a need to ‘boost your immune system’, many people will be looking for healing. Many people come on Yoga and Detox retreats hoping for miraculous healing. And indeed many are looking for the quickest, most effective and cheapest approach with the least amount of personal demands. As a consequence, there is a dilution of some of our deepest original philosophies of life and of the life of the mind. Yoga and Ayurveda are such systems of thought which are in so many ways about taking responsibility for our own minds and not expecting salvation from the outside. The salvation must come from within.

Meditation is the management of the mind. It seeks to gently over time refine the mind. This can only happen over time through the wisdom of experience. If we can understand the mind as an entity which is capable of being observed through awareness and shaped through practice we will be able to discard what is unnecessary for our forward movement. It is the attachment to thoughts that bring about an unwanted experience. In this way we can understand that ‘healing’ is not our greatest need but rather a learning of how to digest our thoughts and emotions and how to direct them towards greater peace and prosperity.

“Ahara”, meaning food in Ayurveda is understood far more broadly as being anything that you ingest with your six senses. The mind in Ayurveda is considered a sense organ just like the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. And just as anything you eat needs to be digested into easily assimilated nutrients, delivered to your tissues and cells and the waste eliminated, so too must the ‘food’ taken in with your mind (your thoughts and emotions) be digested, assimilated and eliminated. And, just as our physical diet must contain suitable foods for our body to digest, assimilate and heal, so must our mental diet. If we repeatedly pollute the mental atmosphere with ‘wrong’ thinking, then is it any wonder that healing becomes necessary?

The journey towards true and authentic healing and ultimately wholeness is a multifaceted journey. On the one hand, the body is able to recover from just about any ailment once a light is shone on the problem and the correct steps have been taken to heal. And, on the other hand, once we shine a light on what it is exactly that we are both feeling and thinking, we will be able to see not only the effects on our physical body, but we will be able to see the effects on our day to day reality. We will be able to see how we are the architects of our own life and how others are the architects of theirs and how we interact with one another based on these unseen aspects of ourselves. It is we ourselves who create various disorders in our bodies, emotional, psychological, mental and spiritual selves. And this is important because without prescribing a too austere life where no fun is to be had at all, we need to look at our whole life. Where we might be ‘consuming’ unhealthy ‘foods’. What are our day to day practices? What films are we watching, what conversations are we engaging in? Do we have toxic thoughts?

A good start is a cleanse so that your body can itself remove physical disturbances created by incorrect eating and then as the body becomes more whole, one can become more in tune with the awareness within. It is impossible to separate our mind from our body be that emotional or psychological so when we heal one aspect, we begin to heal the other aspects. The deeper disturbances created by incorrect thoughts and feelings can then be observed and rerouted. We are constantly creating or re-enforcing neural pathways through our thinking and feelings and we have become unaware of the patterns that are playing out in our lives. The moment we are aware of our patterns, is the moment that we can create new neural pathways and therefore begin the journey of bringing new and more conscious experiences into our lives.

It is our lifestyle which we constantly pay attention to that ultimately heals. Therefore, an overall system that incorporates exercise such as yoga and Pilates, breathing practices, relaxation, mental cultivation to include meditation, a healthy environment and positive relationships, is the ideal way for change to happen. We may not need to heal so much through difficult times, but perhaps we can, through the practise of a healthy lifestyle, develop spiritual strength to remain calm, centred and alert, bringing the deeper insights into our waking life. This is where a Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreat would come very much in handy as this is where the transformation begins.

Two ingredient (super) healthy pancakes

A few days ago, I’m scrolling through instagram and call out to Anthony, my partner to ask him what we should have for breakfast. And as I’m scrolling, I come to this amazing yet exceedingly simple recipe of banana and egg pancakes by @blissedhappiness and Anthony calls back “pancakes”. I realise in that moment that it’s a perfect opportunity to give it a try. And I want to say that not only is it simple but it is super quick and utterly easy. I added a little bicarbonate of soda to make them ultra fluffy and a little salt to balance the sweet taste. I also made a berry compote using frozen berries and served it with yoghurt and a little honey. You can add whatever you like. You might add some coconut shavings or toasted seeds. Be free and playful with whatever is in your pantry.

Bananas are high in sugar so it’s always a good idea to eat them just before exercise or for breakfast because they will fuel you while giving you much needed vitamin B6. B6 is responsible for producing red blood cells, metabolising carbohydrates and fats and turning them into energy. It also helps metabolise amino acids. It helps detoxify the liver and kidney and is one of the ways we can maintain a healthy nervous system. Bananas are also known for their potassium which is great for your heart and your blood pressure. Always try to buy organic bananas.

Recipe

3 eggs

2 small bananas

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Coconut oil for cooking

Pinch of salt

Frozen berries

Yoghurt

Raw honey

Finely mash the bananas to make a paste and then beat the eggs into the banana until smooth. Add the salt and the bicarbonate of soda.

Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan and spoon your pancake mixture. It doesn’t take long, just a few minutes to make a pancake. Be sure to cook on both sides. I heated the oven to store the already cooked pancakes while cooking the rest.

While the pancakes are cooking, in a separate pan, heat your frozen berries. No need to add anything, just heat them stirring regularly. The heat will create a syrupy mixture . The berries add tartness to the sweetness of the pancakes. I drizzle honey on afterwards because I don’t like to cook my honey. The goodness is in raw honey.

I added sheep’s yoghurt and a drizzle of honey. But you can add whatever you like. These pancakes are versatile and so easy you can make them in a few minutes before work.

Summer Pineapple, Apple and Mint Juice

Pineapple is a powerhouse of valuable enzymes.  In particular bromelain, which helps break down protein, and ease coughs and loosen mucus.  Pineapple juice is a good alternative to cough syrup for a sore throat and indeed can be more effective. Bromelain is marvellous  for reducing inflammation from arthritis, injuries, laryngitis, and sinusitis, in addition to treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including angina and atherosclerosis. Pineapple also provides potassium, chlorine, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and iodine along with vitamins A, B complex and C.

Ingredients
1 whole pineapple
2 green apples and
handful of mint leaves.

How to prepare the juice
Cut the spiny leaves and skin and chop into pieces.  Peel your green apples and wash your mint.  Pass through the juice extractor and drink as a refreshing drink after exercise or as a cold and flu remedy.  

This cooling fruit has amazing anti-inflammatory properties and is powerful as a digestive and cleansing aid. A sweet tropical treat, pineapple is high in natural sugar, and we recommend combining it with low-sugar fruits and vegetables to balance the glycemic index and avoid sugar spikes. The flavor and texture of pineapple combine especially well with citrus, cinnamon, ginger and mint, and its tang and aroma are brilliant for masking the pungent qualities of leafy greens and the earthiness of beets. 

Create Your Life

What we think and speak is directly related to our lives on a day to day basis.  We are always manifesting even through our thoughts.  Every statement, thought and action is a reflection of what is happening in our lives.  Every situation or person that we encounter is a mirror reflection of what we are thinking or feeling.  

What we think and see has a direct bearing on whether our thoughts are for our benefit or for our detriment.  If you think about your thoughts as being a boomerang, what you put out is what you bring back.  So when you think big, that’s like being abundant and positive.  When you think small that’s like being negative and diminishing your possibilities and opportunities.  So if you think you are poor, you will be.  If you constantly say and think that you will be financially abundant, you will be.  We are constantly creating our own reality and it is possible to manifest the best for you, to come to you in the easiest possible way.  

How do you do this?  By establishing your priorities, your values and by being specific.  By first deciding exactly what it is that you wish for in your life.  Most people don’t know what they truly wish for and so therefore, they never manifest what they want.  Some people believe that life happens to them including what other people do however, we always have a choice and it is about utilising our free will of choice to create our abundance.  Being in a theta brain wave is an effective way to manifest.  In manifestation, the spoken word is effective only 30 – 40 % of the time.  Visualising is effective 50% of the time and being in a theta brain wave while manifesting is effective 80 – 90% of the time.  One is able to achieve a theta brain state with the help of Theta Healer, using the Theta Healing Technique. The healer helps you to release the beliefs that are blocking your abundance, going as far back as to your ancestry and through your genetic lineage on a core and a soul level.  With this healing technique the past, the present and the future is explored, helping you to find the best for you in the now.  

My friend and colleague Kendal Taytasac, who practices healing on our retreats, found that Theta Healing was a life shifter and a life changer for her.  Before becoming a master healer, Kendal worked in the corporate world realising that if she could just understand why people did the things that they did, she would have a greater understanding of other people and of herself. The three things that stop us from moving forward are doubt, disbelief and rejection of self and others.  

Through the Theta Healing Technique Kendal liberated herself to mental, emotional and physical freedom and found a sense of ease, harmony and joy in her daily life.   All of us have low points and challenges, so having the Theta Healing Technique in her life helped her to move through and past these challenges instantly, giving her an opportunity to open her abundance up further, bringing what she wanted into her reality and being able to visualise and go beyond her dreams.

If you wish to expand your abundance on all levels including Financial Abundance, contact Kendal for a discovery session and shift yourself from surviving to thriving.

Read more about Theta Healing.