For a few weeks, we’ve been learning with esteemed author, acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine teacher Ann Cecil-Sterman. Her insights on calibrating our nervous system, our overall health, and befriending the mind have been simply invaluable.
Our previous posts for your reference:
your vibrant energy
hydration, body and mind
the unseen channels
Today, we close out this enriching series with a simple invitation from Ann. Her thoughts are in italics below.
“I think our overall health could change very quickly if we’d engage in the act of being thankful for the food in front of us, for just one moment. I refer to it as blessing the food, but any way of spending time encountering our food with gratitude will do.
“There are so many beautiful contributions to food, from the warmth of the sun, water from the sky, the soil, seeds, farmers, drivers, stores, the person who cooked it, the gas and electricity in the stove.
“To greet the food with thanks while being mindful of its deep connection with all these facets puts the digestive tract in a posture of grateful welcoming, so that as the food becomes you—your flesh and blood and energy—not only is your body nourished, but so is your soul.”
The meal gatha spoken aloud at Upaya prior to sitting down to meals resounds through my being each time I have food in front of me:
Earth, water, fire, air and space
combine to make this food.
Numberless beings gave their lives
and labors that we may eat.
May we be nourished,
that we may nourish life.
“Blessing your food isn’t limited to religious ritual—it’s a matter of acknowledging our profound interaction with the outer world, bringing awareness to our interconnectedness with all things and beings.”
Thank you once again, Ann, for sending me all of your books, for engaging with me in offering your words here over these few weeks, and for your subtle, profound work in your clinical practice.
On the topic of nourishment, last year I was introduced to Divya Alter, chef, teacher, creator of Divya’s Kitchen, and inspiration for my overall health. Divya's teaching and products have changed the way I eat on a daily basis. We prepare her Balanced Kitchari (fast, simple, delicious) at least twice a week with steamed or roasted veggies, along with her ghee and broths. All are super nurturing, easy to prepare.
She's offered us 15% off her products and masterclass with code ELENA at checkout.
In the photograph below, our van kitchari (!) with avocado, sprouts and plant-based cheese—super easy to prepare and fill our bellies with whole-food nourishment.
Enjoy 15% off Divya’s here. And don’t forget to offer your spirit to bless your food, to give thanks for the gift of nurturance. Your blessing enhances your body’s receptivity to the healing your food is bringing.
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