Uncategorized 623
The Depth of Lungs
Since its first inception back in 1960’s Kinesiology has been renowned for its ability to resolve many long standing health issues with people. When two New York based chiropractors John Thie, DC and George Goodheart, DC discovered that there was a connection between muscles and acupuncture meridians they never realised that they were onto something so big and profound in healing arts that would open up a new dimension in understanding how our body works. Since that time Kinesiology has helped thousands of people worldwide and emerged as a leading health modality in natural and holistic medicine in its own right. 
Today we all know that there is much more to our life than what it meets the eye, and that many things contribute to our health.
An absence of pain doesn’t mean that we are healthy as there are many levels of us which come together to form a complete Human Being.
After all we are sensing, feeling, spiritual Beings who have physical experience in this three dimensional reality that we call our World. Kinesiology with its many procedures combined with the art of muscle testing technique, allows us to examine and correct many issues at its root thus allowing body to self-heal. To explain really how it works we would have to delve deep into quantum physics and holographic model.
Through our body there is a network of energy channels or meridians which run on the surface of the body and also inside of the body where they cross on many places forming a perfect hologram of our body. The energy which runs through these meridians is called Chi which not only supplies every organ, tissue or cell of the body, but also every molecule and atom that form the above. Chi energy is divided into Yin and Yang flow where Yin supplies organs that function 24/7, and Yang supplies organs that work as per need. For us and our body to be healthy all meridians and holographic intersections must remain in balance with constant flow of Chi.
When Chi becomes blocked some of the meridians become over-energy and others under-energy. Generally in medical terms, an over-energy meridian will create an inflammation (itis) whereas an under-energy meridian will create degeneration (osis). We can also use the term that one meridian “attacked” other meridians. In order to regain health, we must identify and unblock the offending meridian.
We are now in autumn/winter which are Yin seasons so it seems appropriate for this issue to explore our Lung Meridian. This meridian deserves our attention due to the fact that it is deeply involved in many health conditions and at the root cause of many imbalances in our society today. In my experience as a Kinesiology Practitioner, I worked almost exclusively on this meridian with so many patients. This gives a clear view not only into individual patterning but also of the Group Conscious of our society in this part of the world.
Lung meridian by its nature is Yin energy flow because our lungs work non-stop 24/7. Lung meridian primarily supplies Chi to our lungs, but also to all other cells in our body. Its position in Five Element Flow of Chi is in Metal element where it receives Chi from Spleen/Pancreas Meridian, feeds Kidney Meridian, controls Liver Meridian, and is controlled by Heart and Circulation/Sex Meridians. An over or under energy in Lung Meridian will have a direct impact on all these meridians with immediate effect. Lung Meridian runs along our arms, both on left and right sides, and it has 11 acupuncture points.
Physiologically the Lungs are part of the Respiratory System of our body and they are primarily responsible for gas exchange, the intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide. In the Lungs, blood and air meet through the medium of extremely thin and delicate lung tissues. They also regulate along with kidneys, the acid/base balance in the body, as well as playing a role in red blood cells creation. Control of breathing is regulated by Medulla Oblongata, a structure which connects our brain with the spinal cord, according to the pH of the blood. The Lungs are rhythmic regulator of life. The body’s energy cycle begins with the Lungs from where it is distributed to all parts of the body. Oxygen is needed by every cell to keep it alive and to metabolise and release the energy. In the process of gas exchange, our Lungs release approximately 60% of toxins through expiration which also makes them one of the main elimination organs.
The conceptual Lung as opposed to physical Lung somewhat give a different story and give a twist to our approach to healing the human condition. As we breed in and out we mark the exchange of energy with our universe, how much we receive (breath in) and how much we give (breath out). As everything in nature that exists must abide by the laws of the Universe, we too must function in the same way, receiving and giving in a balanced way. When our exchange with the Universe is in balance we feel the attributes of Lung Meridian as in Tolerance, Humility and Safe Existence. The sign of imbalanced energy exchange with the Universe shows as Sadness, Oppression, Intolerance, Haughty, Neglected, Forgotten, Unappreciated and Resentment. That gives rise to physical symptoms as Coughing, Tiredness, and Shortness of breath. If we take that above the individual level and apply to a Group Conscious of our society, the picture of “us and them” start to appear, with the cause for many tragic divisions and conflicts through our history. The smell of the air in the city can tell you much about the health of Group Lung Meridian, the way the society functions and even words they pronounce in everyday conversations.
The depth of the issue we find in a holographic approach to the Lungs and their interaction with other meridians. This is part of the imbalance in our astral level of energy and it contains our life attitudes which give rise to our feelings which then give rise to our thoughts. Identification with the thoughts creates a body reaction which is an emotion. The emotion then overloads the energy system and the body goes into compensation described as 3 stages of stress where each stage presents a number of specific symptoms and body adaptation signs.
A Negative Self Talk Approach
This is the first sign of awareness that our Lungs perhaps need some balancing. Below is the most common negative self-talk that occurs
1. Position of Hostility
“Why try if you are only going to fail? My way of staying in control is not to do anything at all. But that’s just my way. I’m hostile toward myself, not you. I’ll applaud your success – just don’t look for me to have any. I’ve checked out. The enemy is me.”
2. Position of Separation
“I dwell on my mistakes and failures. Actually, they obsess me. It’s as if I can never perform as well as I want to. Other people tell me I set my sights too high, that my ideals are unrealistic. They don’t understand. When I do achieve my ideals, I’ll find myself. Until then I can only go on trying – no matter the cost of fear and guilt. I must attain perfection. Anything else is like dying without being dead.”
The Chi
Below we will discuss the blockage of Chi in terms of relationships between Lung and other meridians:
-
Lung -> Lung and Large Intestine
Our attitude towards life becomes full of self-doubt and confusion. We lose our ability to clearly distinguish what actions or expressions are in harmony with our essential nature. We fall under the influence by ideals and other people’s projections which we and/or others have created about ourselves, even though they don’t fit our essential nature of who we really are. We start to seek sources for guidance or self-validation from outside of ourselves. This situation leads towards feelings of lack of exhilaration, we become overly modest, and stagnant in arrogant world.
The healing occurs when we clearly distinguish our unique soul pattern and purpose so that we can select forms of self-expression that are in harmony with our inner nature. We see our true Self through projections of others and their life experiences.
-
Lung -> Kidney and Bladder
Our attitude towards life takes a form of deep doubt about our capabilities. We are depressed and pessimistic about our ability to succeed. This leads to feelings of the intense desire, we are unsettled, we feel that we are pushed and start mistrusting the world.
The healing occurs when we make a commitment to learn from each experience and start acting with confidence using our inner direction.
-
Lung -> Liver and Gall Bladder
We develop a victim attitude towards life. We become victims of the frailty of life. We are in a state of darkness and dissociation brought about by absorbing negative energies without being rooted and grounded. We are impotent and inadequate in the face of God, and our nurturing and caring female receptive principle becomes distorted or blocked. We feel suffocated and hampered, unnurtured and rejected by our world.
The healing occurs when we experience the blissful power of deep seeing behind life’s dramas, understanding, feeling and sensuality.
-
Lung -> Heart and Small Intestine
Our attitude towards life changes to aimlessness and lack of direction. We feel despondent and our emotions become flat. This leads to feeling of losing faith. Troubles loom. To protect ourselves we go numb and become sarcastic.
The healing occurs when we attune to our life’s purpose, act with motivation and direction, and express our love fully and freely.
-
Lung -> Circulation/Sex and Triple Heater
Our attitudes towards life become dangerous to ourselves and our society. This position is at the bottom of all wars, conflicts and divisions in the history of our Mankind, right from the very beginning to this very day. This is the position of ultimate duality which was well described in Pink Floyd’s song “Us and Them”. The attitude of pride, racism, nationalism, jealousy, narrow mindedness and comparing ourselves with others is a true killer of millions of fellow human beings. This ignorance of our true Self is evident in the history of Mankind which serves as nothing but a detailed reference of human crime against each other. This leads towards a lack of boldness, we feel leery. Claustrophobia is common with feeling trapped.
The healing occurs when we make the commitment to kindly, gently and supportively cooperate with others and acknowledge the true humility as the willingness to see only the best and highest in other fellow human beings.
The peace that is fought by war is not a peace worth dying for as it is only a subdued war. The real peace is deep within us, in our inner spaciousness and depth of our being. That peace is an eternal peace which heals all wounds and connects us with the joy of living.
-
Lung -> Spleen/Pancreas and Stomach
Our attitude towards life becomes unrealistic. We blame ourselves for all mistakes and become overwhelmed by obligations. Our sense of responsibility is unrealistic, we become increasingly fatigued as we slip into depression. This leads to a feeling of over-disciplined, we feel we are speechless with no ability to articulate ourselves, pretending to be “holier than thou” to cover up our destructiveness.
The healing occurs when we take on those responsibilities which are in the best interest of ourselves and others. We can then assess our accomplishments and failures realistically and with love. Every failure is a win and every loss is again.
-
Lung -> Central and Governing
Our life attitude changes to over-extension and exhaustion because of making things difficult for ourselves. We muddle and tangle in situations, we have nervous tension as we succumb to old patterns, habits or situations no longer appropriate. We feel hurt and unworthy, we feel dead as we start to question our world.
The healing occurs when we accept a present moment, here and now. As we start living in the present moment we experience the calm centre that allows us optimism and movement in innovative directions. The past is past and the future doesn’t exist. We have never been stuck, we realise that having no choice is already made choice as we discover the freedom in the power of choice. As Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj says “here is everywhere and now is always”.
In order to look after our Lungs and their amazing function which supports our life every second of our life, we can engage in some form of cardio exercise of choice like running, cycling, swimming, brisk walking, hiking, etc. Drink plenty of water as Lungs are very much dependant on clean water. We should drink at least 0.3l of clean water for every 10kg of our body weight, per day. As for the nutrients, eat foods which are rich primarily in vitamins A, C, and carotenoids.
Homoeopathy also offers a number of very effective remedies for Lungs, the major one being Tuberculinum. The indication for Tuberculinum is for people who fit this picture: romantic, unfulfilled, “cosmopolitan” patients. Need change and excitement. Frequent changing of jobs. The desire for travel. Passionate about travel. Irritability and even violence. Hyperactivity. Behaviour disorders of children. Obstinate and disobedient children. Fears of cats, dogs, animals. The disgust of furred animals. Compulsive and ritualistic behaviour. The constant feeling that he/she has forgotten something. Shrieking in sleep, difficult concentration.
For those of you who wish to explore the Lungs through Yoga, here is the list of Yoga asanas which can be practised more often in order to enhance Chi flow and reinforce the Lungs. This list is from Yin Yoga:
- Anahatasana or Melting Heart
- Camel
- Reclining Twist
- Snail
For those of you who are more akin to Chakra oriented Yoga asanas, you can practice asanas and mudras for reinforcing Throat, Heart, and Navel Chakras.
So to heal Mankind we must heal the one first, so start with yourself and let the world be. Why not begin with your Lungs. After all, our life on this planet started with breathing in, inhaling the Life Itself.
In health and joy of living,
Author: Zoran Milišić
Zoran Milišić is a specialised kinesiologist who was born in Sarajevo. After completing primary and secondary education, and enrolling at Mechanical University in Sarajevo, he migrated to Australia at the beginning of 1993. After completing tertiary education in IT and a successful and exhausting career in IT industry in Brisbane, QLD, Zoran left the IT career and corporate environment and found his inner calling in studying Kinesiology. Zoran has completed more than 70 Kinesiology subjects in various Kinesiology modalities and Western Medicine and built a successful career as a Registered Specialised Kinesiology Practitioner in Brisbane. He ran his own practice until moving back to his hometown Sarajevo in 2007. Zoran is now based in Sarajevo where he works as kinesiology practitioner. Zoran is a father of two boys and is an avid cyclist. In his road racing career as a cyclist, Zoran won a number of medals and competed in many state and international races. He also rode for BiH National Team.
How I Created My Own Meal Plan
For years, I struggled with emotional eating and didn’t know how to get out of it. You can read my full experience here. One of the things that helped me was to research through meal plans to create my own, which I made flexible enough so I wouldn’t starve (this is one of my biggest fears in this lifetime).
Most of the time, the reason we go on diets is about looks, our first goal being to lose weight. Then, we end up traumatizing some part of our beings, which perceive the experience of dieting as a punishment. This happens because the core intention behind our actions is rooted in non-acceptance and self-judgement. We are sending a message to ourselves that we are not good enough and that we must change because we are not loveable as we are. We are basically telling our body: “I don’t like you”.
So, concretely, after many failed attempts, I felt that it was much better to set this initial intention: to simply feel well in my body, mind and spirit. I chose to adopt a more holistic approach where I’d communicate with my emotions, my inner child and insecurities.
Because, as we tend to forget, food is deeply linked to emotions. Therefore, setting a constructive core intention is a must. It automatically makes other aspects of our existence fall into place because everything is interconnected. If we really want to make some changes in our lives, the intention needs to come from a space of brightness and motivation.
In this context, after researching many ways to get out of my food addiction, I finally created a meal plan that was flexible enough and that helped me build a more harmonious relationship to food. Weight loss came as the cherry on top, a positive side effect of the lifestyle I started designing for myself.
THE MEAL PLAN
This meal plan is voluntarily very loose. This is to avoid traumas that could result in making things worse at some point. I also adopted three simple guidelines to help me put a bit of structure without being too harsh on myself.
1. Wait AT LEAST 2 hours and MAXIMUM 4 hours between your meals
This first tip is the one who helped me the most in my binge eating recovery. Thanks to this, you won’t experience the traumatic experience of being hungry and feeling punished; since you never allow yourself to starve, you get to reduce the snacking. This way, you’ll slowly start gaining trust in the fact that you won’t be hungry.
2. The possibility of 5 meals a day
This is also a way to help both the snacking and starvation problems. 5 meals is a possibility, and it isn’t mandatory – it is comforting for the mind and emotions, especially in the beginning, to know that you have the right to eat. Very often some of the meals merge and you will eat less than 5 times a day.
3. Not eating in the evening
Intermittent fasting is a method that has loads of proven benefits. Be flexible with yourself! Start by setting your personal deadline at 8 pm, then a bit earlier when you’re getting used to it.
I first told myself, in order to avoid trauma, that I can have something lighter at night if I am really hungry – this never happened though, but my mind needed to know that it had the choice.
MEAL PLAN
MEAL 1.
Between 10-12 AM.
Lighter breakfast.
Can be a smoothie, oatmeal, buckwheat, cold-pressed juice,…
MEAL 2.
Between 12 – 2 PM.
More consistent Breakfast/Lunch/Brunch.
If the light breakfast was a juice or smoothie, the lunch can be oatmeal/buckwheat,…
If this is the first meal of the day, it is more like brunch and usually, it can be more consistent, i.e. avocado/hummus toast combined with sweet potatoes, a salad or a juice, etc.
“People who eat earlier lunches drop pounds more easily”
MEAL 3.
Around 4 PM.
Snack.
fruit, cake, biscuit,…
MEAL 4.
Between 5-6 PM.
consistent meal – dinner. This is usually the biggest meal of the day.
Soup, baked potatoes, veggie burger, rice, pasta, etc.
MEAL 5.
Between 6-8 PM.
light snack – salad, raw banana ice cream; fruit cake (some kind of dessert)
Very often the 3 last meals merge into the last meal of the day, ideally around 5 or 6 PM. Of course, you adapt to the situation and sometimes it might happen that for example you wake up early and have breakfast at 10, Lunch at 2, then you can have a snack at 4 and dinner at 6 or 7.
If your first meal is around 12 or 1 (it will probably tend to be more like brunch), you might have a snack around 3 or 4 and dinner around 6.
You might also notice that, when you’re life is fulfilled with purposeful and selfless actions, you’ll feel less hungry. This is because love if the only real food for our soul.
The most important is to remember there is no strict rule to follow here – What I am sharing are just guidelines and you can adapt this plan to your own needs and personality.
If you need any inspiration for recipes, but also specific meal plans according to your special needs, I would like to mention a website that really helped me and where you can find various meal plans and vegan recipes. I was very much inspired by them! https://www.onegreenplanet.org/
Let’s finish this month’s article on some wise words: « Eat moderately. Eat with respect. Eat just to fulfil hunger. Eat for one time each time. Eat with awareness, listen to your body while you eat. Stop eating when the body says: ”NO!”. Eat consciously. » – Mohanji on Healthy Eating.
Author: Tea Klincov, Mohanji Acharya
Her philosophy is to live one day at a time, second per second, feeling per feeling, breath by breath. She loves everything that has something to do with making the world a better place. She is an advocate of a conscious and low impact lifestyle, more in tune with nature and our true inner nature. https://www.facebook.com/good.vibes.sharing
Disclaimer : I am not a nutritionist and am sharing tips based on my personal experience. If you suffer from any ailment, you should visit a professional.
Conscious Cooking at Master Chefs Exhibition
A wonderful opportunity presented itself to be part of three days of vegan cooking demonstrations and talks on veganism at Meet the Master Chefs expo with Kunal Kapur from India and Sashikumar Cheliah from Australia. Catherine Phillips, Director of the Vegan Society in KwaZulu Natal, invited us to participate in this international programme at Sibaya Sun Park in Durban. In conjunction with Sulosh Pillay and Ami Hughes, we had a Conscious Food exhibition for three days at Master Chefs dedicated to promoting the World Consciousness Alliance, ACT Foundation and Global Vegan Club.
These groups are inspired by, and based on, the teachings of visionary and trendsetting Mohanji. He is a confluence of various religions, traditions and cultures and does not belong to anyone religion. If he has a religion, it is that of nonviolence. The Mohanji way of life emphasises the innate human attributes of purity, faith, unconditional love and selfless service towards all species. His core teachings emphasise freedom from all bindings and concepts.
Each Conscious Cooking demonstration showed the simplicity and values of cooking vegan food, the health benefits and the spiritual reasons for adopting the vegan lifestyle. Many people find it challenging to embrace veganism, but with so many vegan food items in supermarkets today, it is very easy to replace dairy. Green leafy vegetables are high in calcium, and the correct combining of food ensures high protein intake is achieved by combining seeds + nuts, grains + pulses, beans + corn for all your body’s protein requirements.
“Let food be your medicine!” said Hippocrates. In Traditional Chinese medicine, food is used as kitchen medicine to nourish, heal and maintain health, vitality and longevity.
One of the interesting items on the menu was raw red vegan soup made with anything red in your vegetable basket, such as tomato, beetroot, red peppers, red cabbage, red onion, chillies, radishes, as well as celery, avocado, lemon, ginger, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
These vegetables are naturally high in nutrients such as vitamins A and C, omega-3, -6, and -9, carotenoids, lycopene, sulphur and L-glutamine. They build healthy red blood cells, improve oxygenation and energy levels, assist in liver detoxification and blood circulation. They ensure healthy skin, nails and hair and glowing vitality.
By simply peeling, chopping and then liquidising all the ingredients, a very nutritious, nutrient-dense soup is made that is high in soluble fibre, satisfies the appetite, balances blood sugar and keeps the colon regular. Raw vegan soups are high in enzymes, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are not destroyed by the cooking process, and renew the body on a cellular level. There are an estimated 33.7 trillion cells in your body; cellular renewal takes place continuously as old cells die and new cells are created. By changing over to a plant-based diet, you can completely detoxify and renew your entire body on a cellular level!
The vibrancy of a vegan diet and raw vegan food rejuvenates the soul. Fresh, zesty flavours and live food that is high in energy and prana are natural and pure as nature intended for humans. A vegan diet creates vitality, radiance, energy and health with a clean conscience!
The ACT Foundation South Africa, in the last two years, has distributed 50,000 vegan meals to the homeless, orphanages, schools, old-age homes and community centres.
ACT embraces the principles of nonviolence (ahimsa). ACT is nondenominational and serves everyone irrespective of colour, class, gender or religion. Volunteers only serve compassionate food that is nonviolent and causes no harm to any living being. Peace on a plate is the starting point to bring about inner peace and the change that we so deeply need in the world, which is filled with violence.
The World Consciousness Alliance promote core values, to bring peace, compassion and enlightened living to humanity. The WCA’s religion is nonviolence; it cares for the well-being of all species as well as nature, and strongly objects to all kinds of violence. The WCA is about bringing an attitudinal shift emphasising responsibilities rather than rights. This stems from the awareness that a person’s inner richness is maintained by giving and sharing more than taking from this world. Living responsibly is the need of the hour. This means we live with the clear awareness that we cannot truly own anything that belongs to the earth; we are only temporary custodians of our positions and possessions. It also means that we are responsible for leaving a better world for the next generation.
The Global Vegan Club promotes compassionate vegan living. It is not just about diet; the club promulgates the adoption of a responsible lifestyle that encompasses every aspect of your existence.
Being vegan is about nonviolence in thought, word and action; and this starts with what you eat.
You cannot advocate peace in this world if you are eating food that has caused pain and suffering to other living beings. When you eat food that has inflicted death on another being, your body stores that violence and negative energy on a cellular level, and it becomes a part of you and your consciousness. A vegan diet cannot be enforced by anyone; it must come from a place of compassion and unconditional love for all life.
We thank the Master Chefs for visiting South Africa and allowing Conscious Cooking to share the stage with them. We can all walk the path to better health and self-mastery. Shamim and I had an interesting moment with Master Chef Sashikumar: while we were busy in the back kitchen, he quietly stood and watched us prepping Vietnamese spinach wraps and raw chocolate date fudge. Who knows, this might be the start of an international vegan Master Chef show!
It is up to each individual to be the change they want to see. We can all take responsibility for making the world a better place for our children and future generations.
Embark on your vegan journey with a day of compassion, and consider having at least one vegan meal a day, week or month. The first positive step towards change is the most important, no matter how big or small it is. Eat your food in a state of love and compassion; enjoy the purity and vibrancy of your food. Allow peace and joy to fill your day as you give unconditional love to yourself and to all around you.
Author: Sjarn Day-Mansoor
Sjarn is an active member of World Consciousness Alliance, ACT South Africa Foundation and Global Vegan Club member. For Vegan cooking demonstrations, talks on Being Vegan and Compassionate Lifestyle please contact Sjarn on +27 798710035
Sankhya Soya Wax Candles
I had a deep desire to do something creative, to do something that spreads awareness and, at the same time, was fun (I was often too serious, and we need to walk through life with a smile). One day a childhood memory came back to me, the moment when I was making my first candle. That’s it! Candles! I wanted not only to reawaken this little child within me but also to teach her how important it is to ensure that everything we do, especially on the spiritual path, has a higher purpose.
My candles would not be made of paraffin; they would not be harmful to health and the environment. My candles would be made of natural (soya) wax, enriched with fragrant essential oils. I’d put crystals in my candles to boost their energy further. On each candle, I would put a message from my spiritual master, a message that would calm the mind and awaken gratitude. I’d make them myself with a lot of love and playfulness. I would enjoy every detail. I would do my best to slowly teach people how important it is to adopt healthy habits. And then I would send them to their new homes as little carriers of light and love.
When we let go and have a pure intention, the Universe takes care of the rest.
This is one of the transformations that I have experienced and was made aware of on my spiritual journey with my guru, Mohanji.
Soon a brand name came to my mind, a name that resonated with every cell of my very existence.
Sankhya is the first of the six Indian philosophies concerned with understanding the origin of the world.
Sankhya means to understand the truth of life.
Today is a Sankhya candle, tomorrow it can be so much more … as long as it serves to spread light.
None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of my loved ones and the support of my true friends, the Mohanji family.
Everything we do with a pure heart, in the spirit of ahimsa (nonviolence), has a special energy that sensitive people recognise. I write this based on my own experience. When someone asks me about the goal of this project, I realise it is not money and success. I enjoy the process of creating, at each stage (sewing little packaging bags and making candles, choosing which crystals I combine with particular aromas and colours). I enjoy gifting my Sankhya candle as much as I enjoy selling them. That moment of recognition awakens in me a spark of happiness and gratitude. As for the rest, I let the Universe guide me.
Author: Petra Franov
Logo design by Nebojša Matković
Brand owner Petra Franov
Delicious Cruelty-Free Christmas Lunch
There are millions of amazing recipes available online, but at this time of year – who’s got time to scroll the internet looking for them. These are our recommendations for a compassionate and delicious Christmas lunch.
Here’s proof you can still enjoy delicious Christmas meal and be kind to animals at the same time!
Vegan Meatballs
(https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a28708508/vegan-meatballs-recipe/)
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray, for pan
2 c. canned chickpeas
2 1/2 tbsp.
chia seeds
6 tbsp.
water
1/2 c.
rolled oats
1 1/2 tbsp.
tomato paste
3 tbsp.
chopped basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp.
fennel seeds
1/4 tsp.
red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°, then line a medium baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray.
- Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Transfer chickpeas to a food processor and process until broken down.
- Make chia egg: Combine chia seeds and water in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Let sit 5 minutes, until mixture gels and becomes thick.
- Add chia egg, oats, tomato paste, basil, garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes into the food processor and blend until combined. If mixture is too dry, add liquid from chickpea can 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
- Form mixture into 16 meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip meatballs, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more, until golden and crisp. Serve with your favorite pasta and sauce.
MUSHROOM WELLINGTON WITH SPINACH
(https://deliciousfromscratch.com/mushroom-wellington-spinach-recipe/)
Ingredients
Avocado-Spelt Filo Pastry
- 250g whole grain spelt flour
- 1teaspoon sea salt
- 90g avocado flesh about 1 medium, mashed
- 90g very hot water
Mushroom, Spinach & Stilton Fillings
- 1tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1tablespoon water
- 400g brown mushrooms or similar halved or quartered
- 1medium red onion diced
- 3cloves garlic crushed
- 100ml drinkable dry white wine
- 100ml water
- 1lightly heaped tablespoon vegetable stock paste
- 20g rolled oats
- 25g walnuts
- few handfuls fresh herbsroughly chopped
- sea saltto taste
- freshly ground black pepperto taste
- 400g frozen spinach thawed
- 1/2lemon juice only
- 150g Stilton omit for vegan
Assembly
- 100g extra virgin olive oil
- 2heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt substitute for vegan
- 1egg substitute for vegan
- sesame seedsto garnish
- dried oreganoto garnish
Instructions
Pastry
- Add the flour and salt to a food processor and mix to combine. Add the avocado and blend in. Add the hot water a little at a time and blend or combine with your hands. I used 90g of water when I made this pastry, but you may need a little more or a little less, depending on your flour. Knead for about 5 minutes in the machine. When ready, the dough should be moist and pliable, but not too sticky. Thoroughly scrape out the food processor, wrap the dough in plastic and rest on the work surface while you prepare the fillings.
Fillings
- Mix the flaxseed and water together in a small tub and rest in the fridge.
- In a large saucepan, stew the garlic, wine, water and stock paste over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, adding a dash of water if it starts to dry out.
- While the garlic is stewing, dry sauté the mushrooms over high heat in a large, heavy bottomed frying pan until well browned – you will most likely need to do this in batches. When the garlic and mushrooms are ready, add the mushrooms to the garlic and stir to combine. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed to keep everything lubricated.
- After you add the mushrooms to the garlic, start cook the red onion in the pan you were sautéing the mushrooms in, until softened and translucent, about 15 minutes.
- Grind the rolled oats and walnuts to a fine powder with a high-powered blender or spice grinder. When the mushrooms are ready, stir in onions, the oat-nut mixture and the flax egg that has been resting in the fridge. Stir very thoroughly to combine. Transfer half the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse to a chunky texture. Return the chopped mixture to the rest of the mushrooms and stir again to combine. Set aside.
- Put half the spinach in the centre of a clean tea towel and twist it around the spinach to remove as much water as possible. Repeat with the other half of the spinach. Transfer to a bowl and thoroughly season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the Stilton, if using, and set aside.
Assembly
- Cut the dough into eight even pieces. Working one piece at a time, roughly shape a piece of dough to fit the width of your pasta machine. Run a piece of dough through the machine, starting on setting 1 and working your way up, until the dough is as thin as you can make it. I got up to setting 8 on my machine. You will need to add a little sprinkle of flour to the dough sheets occasionally to stop them sticking. Sticking is very, very frustrating, so definitely avoid that!
- Preheat the oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. When one sheet is complete, lay lengths of it on the baking paper, trimming as necessary to form a rough 30cm x 40cm rectangle – you want to create one even layer, as pictured. Drizzle over a touch of olive oil – no need to go nuts – and brush or rub over the pastry so it is mostly covered. Repeat with three more layers – one piece of dough makes roughly one layer.
- Start layering the fillings, starting with the spinach, then the mushrooms, then the Stilton, if using. You want the fillings to have some height and will cover roughly 12cm wide x 30cm long.
- At each end, cut two diagonal slits through the uncovered pastry from the corners of the filling to the corner of the pastry, so you have a triangular flap at each end. Fold these triangular flaps up over each end and press the pointed corners down the sides. Fold the remaining side pieces of pastry up round the filling. You should now only have a small strip of exposed filling along the top.
- Roll out another piece of pastry and trim it to cover just that small strip. Drizzle with a touch of oil and repeat with another two strips. Brush a little oil over the entire surface. Roll out one final piece of pastry, large enough to cover the whole thing if possible, and lay over the entire length and sides of the Wellington.
- Beat together the yoghurt and egg (substitute soy milk for vegan) and brush over the pastry. Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, brush again with the glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and oregano, and return to the oven to bake for a further 15 minutes or so, until the whole surface is evenly browned.
- Rest for about 5 minutes, then cut into pieces with a serrated knife and serve.
Recipe Notes
To make this dish vegan, omit the blue cheese and substitute soy milk for the Greek yoghurt and egg glaze.
Lemon-Maple Roasted Carrots
(https://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/food-drinks/a24115449/lemon-maple-roasted-carrots/)
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 lb.
carrots
2 tbsp.
olive oil
2 tsp.
coriander seeds, crushed
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 tbsp.
maple syrup
2 tbsp.
lemon juice
1/2 c.
fresh cilantro leaves
- Heat oven to 450°F. Peel carrots, halve crosswise, and cut the thick ends in half lengthwise, if large.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with oil, coriander seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Transfer half to a second sheet, reduce oven temperature to 425°F and roast, tossing after 15 minutes, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total.
- Immediately toss hot carrots with maple syrup, then lemon juice. Serve topped with cilantro
Green Beans with Orange and Almond Gremolata
INGREDIENTS
2 lb.
green beans
2 tbsp.
olive oil
1
clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp.
chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 c.
roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 tsp.
orange zest
1/2 c.
flat leaf parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water, then in batches, cook green beans until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer green beans to the ice water to cool; drain and set aside.
- In a small skillet, heat oil, garlic, and rosemary on medium heat until garlic sizzles around the edges and begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with almonds and orange zest, then parsley.
- Serve over warm or room temperature green beans
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary Pecans
INGREDIENTS
5 small sweet potatoes
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 tbsp. olive oil
tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place on a microwave-safe plate. Cook on high for 6 minutes; turn each potato and cook until soft, 6 minutes more. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pecans with the oil, then cayenne, 2 teaspoons rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast for 8 minutes. Toss with the remaining teaspoon rosemary.
- Peel the potatoes and mash in a bowl with the maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Spoon into a shallow 2-quart baking dish and top with the pecan mixture. Bake until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Quick Charred Escarole with Sauteed Garlic and Lemon
INGREDIENTS
1
lemons
4 tbsp.
olive oil
1
extra large head escarole (about 2 lbs), halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
4
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp.
Dijon mustard
DIRECTIONS
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove 2 strips zest from lemons and thinly slice zest; squeeze ¼ cup juice.
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high. Add 1 Tbsp oil, then half the escarole and cut side down. Cook for about 3 minutes until slightly charred. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with remaining escarole. Sprinkle both halves with ½ tsp salt.
- Return skillet to low heat. Add remaining 3 Tbsp oil, lemon zest, and garlic; cook until garlic sizzles around edges and turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and lemon juice. Roughly chop escarole; toss with vinaigrette.
GLUTEN FREE PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE DONUTS
(https://petiteallergytreats.com/gluten-free-peppermint-chocolate-donut-vegan-dairy-free/)
INGREDIENTS
Donuts
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup gluten free all purpose white flour
- 1 cup milk of choice
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 T oil (I used avocado)
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
Coconut Cream Peppermint Frosting
- 1 cup coconut cream (canned and refrigerated overnight)
- 3 T powdered sugar
- ½ tsp peppermint oil
- crushed candy canes
INSTRUCTIONS
Donuts
- Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into donut pan and bake 350 for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center. Allow donuts to cool on a wire rack.
Frosting
- Use a hand mixer to whip chilled coconut cream, powdered sugar and peppermint oil until fluffy (about 5 minutes)
- Spread cream on cooled donuts and sprinkle with crushed peppermint. Enjoy!
NOTES
Notes: Keep extra cream refrigerated for up to 5 days. If you will be serving the donuts at a later time, keep frosted donuts refrigerated and wait to sprinkle with peppermint candy or else the candy will bleed. The donuts alone freeze extremely well.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
(https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a28449365/vegan-pumpkin-pie-recipe/)
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST
Cooking spray
1 1/2 c.
pecans
2/3 c.
old fashioned oats
3 tbsp.
packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
3 tbsp.
coconut oil, melted and cooled
FOR THE FILLING
1
(15-oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 c.
coconut milk
3/4 c.
packed brown sugar
2 tbsp.
cornstarch
1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
1 tsp.
ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
1/2 tsp.
ground ginger
1/4 tsp.
ground nutmeg
FOR THE TOPPING
1
(13.5-oz.) can full fat coconut cream, refrigerated overnight (Taste Of Thai works best)
3 tbsp.
powdered sugar
Pinch kosher salt
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 9” pie plate with cooking spray.
- In a food processor, add pecans, oats, sugar, and salt and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add coconut oil and pulse until well combined and dough starts to stick together.
- Press mixture into prepared dish. Line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Blind bake 15 minutes, then remove parchment and weights and bake 15 minutes more.
- Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together filling ingredients then pour over crust and bake until only slightly jiggly in the center, 50 to 55 minutes. Cover crust with foil if it starts to get too dark. Let cool completely.
- Make topping: Open can of coconut cream and scoop out hardened cream on top. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat coconut cream, powdered sugar, and salt together until stiff peaks form.
- Serve pie with whipped coconut cream.
Recipes collected by Mina Obradovic, Vegan Activist.
Rumi, a Professor, Poet and Mystic
In December mystics from all around the world are remembering Rumi, one of the greatest poets of all time.
His poetry is translated in many languages and almost 800 years after his death, he is still best-selling author in the United States.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī-Rumi was born on September 30, 1207, in the city of Balkh in today’s Afghanistan.
He was a professor, theologian, poet and mystic who dedicated his life to God. In his works, he always emphasized that love is the only path man should follow.
The basis of all his teachings is love, and therefore, all thoughts, words, and actions must come from the heart. Rumi was above the idea of religion because he noticed that the base of many religions is fear, which is opposite to love. The best explanation of himself he gave in one of the poems:
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, or Zen.
Not any religion or cultural system. I am not from the east or the west, not out of the ocean or up from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not composed of elements at all.
I do not exist, am not an entity in this world or the next, did not descend from Adam and Eve or any origin story.
My place is the placeless, a trace of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two worlds as one and that one call to and know, first, last, outer, inner,
only that breath breathing human being.
He was called Mevlana (the Master) by his students and followers because his mission was to help people reach the state of the evolved human, the state „where one is absent of himself and present with God“. The two most important characteristics in this path are patience and acceptance, and he constantly reminds of them.
Even though he was well educated and highly evolved in a spiritual sense, the real transformation Rumi reached after he met dervish, mystic and a wanderer Shams of Tabriz. They spent only two years together, but the connection between them was so strong that it created outburst in Rumi’s creative writing. He wrote almost all his verses after he was separated from Shams. Many of today’s scholars argue about the specific relation between Rumi and Shams, trying to put it in a worldly context. But to understand the truth, one must have his connection with any Master, Guru, teacher, or saint.
Shamsudin Tabriz, known by the nickname “the bird” was in the search of the ideal student to whom he wanted to pass all collected spiritual knowledge. After a long search, the right candidate was found in Konya. It was Rumi. Shams saw him the first time when Rumi was 21 years old, but he did not approach, because he taught that Rumi was not ready. The second meeting between two happened when Rumi was in his late thirties. A complex and very special bond was created immediately. Shams was a real mystic, a holder of knowledge from many famous mystery schools of that time, and he was eager to transmit it to the one chosen student. It is very important to understand that the way of spiritual ascension towards Divine love and truth is only possible through direct and personal experience, and this is what Shams gave to Rumi. He helped him reach other dimensions and meet beings that do not live in “our reality”.
The state of God-human Rumi reached with Shams. With his help, he learned how to leave the Self and transcend into the ocean of Divine’s. Shams transferred all his powers to Rumi, and Mevlana found himself in a world he never imagined to be possible.
When “the bird” disappeared from Rumi’s life, Rumi struggled with depression and a high sense of non-belonging. He spent years searching for him. After a long time of introspection and inner work, he realized that he was seeking himself. The most beautiful verses in the world came from this relationship.
I circled awhile with each of the intelligences,
the nine fathers that control the levels of spirit-growth.
I revolved for years with the stars through each astrological sign.
I disappeared into the kingdom of nearness.
I saw what I have seen,
receiving nourishment as a child lives in the womb.
Personalities are born once,
a mystic many times.
Wearing the body-robe,
I’ve been busy in the market,
weighing and arguing prices.
Sometimes I have torn the robe off with my own hands and thrown it away.
I’ve spent long nights in monasteries,
and I have slept with those who claim to believe nothing on the porches of pagodas,
just traveling through.
When someone feels jealous,
I am inside the hurt and the need to possess.
When anyone is sick,
I feel feverish and dizzy.
I am cloud and rain being released,
and then the meadow as it soaks it in.
I wash the rains of mortality from the cloth around a dervish.
I am the rose of eternity,
not made of water or fire or the wandering wind,
or even earth.
I pay with those.
I am not Shams of Tabriz,
but a light within his light.
If you see me, be careful.
Tell no one what you’ve seen.
The fact that Rumi wanted to honor Shams as his Master by attributing his name to the whole collection of the poems, explains the specifics of their relationship. He saw Shams as his name was-the Sun, shining over his life.
Rumi wrote many prose and poetic works, but he is famous by Masnavi, written in 27 000 lines and The works of Shams Tabriz, with 90 Ghazals.
The story of Rumi and Shams is a true love story. Love that connects, unites and resolves in God. Because God is the way, the station, and the final destination. The night of his death is called a “Wedding night”-because of his final union with Beloved.
This transition Rumi explained before leaving.
Don’t cry “Woe, parted!” at my burial –
For me, this is the time of the joyful meeting!
Don’t say “Farewell!” when I’m put in the grave –
A curtain is it for eternal bliss.
You saw “descending” – now look at the rising!
Is setting dangerous for the sun and moon?
To you, it looks like setting, but it’s rising;
The coffin seems a jail, yet it means freedom.
Rumi died on December 17th, 1273 in Konya.
Author: Lea Kosovac
Recent Comments