Sarah Wilkinson - Vegan Recipes to Enhance Your Yoga Life: Food to balance and invigorate your chakras

vegan recipes TO
ENHANCE YOUR yoga life food to balance and invigorate YOUR CHAKRAS Sarah Wilkinson To the earth, with gratitude for all the bountiful produce gifted to us. This edition published in 2020 by CICO Books An imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd 2021 Jockeys Fields London WC1R 4BW 341 E 116th St New York, NY 10029 www.rylandpeters.com First published in 2015 as The Chakra Kitchen. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Text Sarah Wilkinson 2015 and 2020 Design and photography CICO Books 2015 and 2020 The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress and the British Library. eISBN: 978-1-78249-911-4 ISBN: 978-1-78249-847-6 Printed in China

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Contents Harnessing the Power of Crystals Vegan Recipes to Enhance Your Yoga Life is the result of consciously working with the chakras as a key element within my healing practice since 2012.

Back in 2011, I decided to leave my 10-year career in the arts and higher education to pursue a spiritual path and to help others and the planet. Chakra Cakes were born out of a light-hearted parting gift to my co-workers to introduce them to the ancient chakra system. Then came my signature Chakra Teas, Flame and Flora and catering at Mind, Body, Spirit and Yoga events. This book is a beautiful and timely opportunity for me to share with you the benefits of eating foods to support your chakras. Conscious eating This means literally taking a loving and caring interest in choosing, preparing, and eating your food. If you start to do this, then you will automatically be working with your crown chakra.

There are many ways in which you can achieve a more conscious connection with food. One way is to buy seasonal organic and biodynamic foods, local where possible (so lowering your carbon footprint). Another is to introduce veganism into your life, thereby respecting and extending love to all animal life as equal inhabitants of this planet. Many people who are in touch with their spirituality are increasingly aligning to a more heart-centered vegan lifestyle. As we rise in consciousness with the planet (which is happening rapidly now), our bodies are shifting. Food sensitivities and intolerances are another indication of this.

Over-processed products, including mass-produced bread containing modified wheat and preservatives, seem to be causing digestive issues in many of the more sensitive people. Avoiding gluten or at least opting for freshly prepared food made with unadulterated whole grains, such as spelt and rye, can help. Sugar consumption is something else to watch and I hope that the recipes in this book will help you to enjoy experimenting with alternative natural and unrefined sweeteners (see ). Other stimulants, such as coffee and tea, if consumed, are best taken in moderation. Garlic is not recommended by yogis and is certainly best avoided around times of dedicated spiritual practice and healing work. You may therefore choose to remove it from the recipes it is contained in within this book, or at least keep consumption to a minimum.

Alcohol is extremely detrimental to the chakras, and to physical and mental health, and should in my opinion be avoided completely. For more on this and other useful advice, please refer to Nutrition: Food, Health and Spiritual Development, Rudolf Steiner Press. I would also recommend keeping your body in an alkaline state for optimal health (you can test saliva with PH strips). One way to help with this is to take half a lemon or lime, juiced, and/or 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda with warm water every morning 20-30 minutes before food. Do take your time when selecting produce. We are all made of subtle vibratory energy and it is possible to feel the life force in a plant-based food by holding it in your hands and focusing on it; closing your eyes can help.

When preparing meals, make it a time of creative celebrationsing, put light-hearted music on in the kitchen, and send in love as you work with the food; its best to avoid arguments or gossiping! Once your meal is ready, serve it at the table and take a moment to thank the earth, and the farmers and producers, as well as the food itself. Gratitude is always a winner! Try to share food with friends and family when possible and make it a sensual, joyous experience. Take the time to eat slowly, chewing and noticing the colors, textures, tastes, and aromas. You will digest with more ease, absorb more nutrients, and have an all-round beautiful experience. You will also feel fuller quicker. It is not advisable to overeat or force yourself to consume anything that you dont like; learn to listen to your body.

I can also recommend using your body as a human pendulum by holding the food in front of your solar plexus chakra (see ), and seeing if you sway toward or away from it. This will help you to understand what your body wants to ingest and what it doesnt at any given moment. Food waste is best kept to a minimum for the sake of all and the planet, so try not to over-purchase and find creative ways to use up any spare ingredients such as feeding them to your dog (non-toxic ingredients only of course) or donating them to food banks. Seasonal, organic, and biodynamic foods If you dont have an organic farm or market nearby, a good option is to order from an online box scheme, and many supermarkets stock a good range. Recent papers on the health benefits of organic foods over regular farmed crops indicate that higher concentrations of antioxidants and (poly)phenolics are present in the former. There are also lower concentrations of cadmium (toxic metal contaminant), nitrate, and chemical pesticide residues ( Organic versus Non-organic: A New Evaluation of Nutritional Difference/Crops , Neals Yard Remedies, July 2014).