Spring Yoga Classes in Stoke-on-Trent

It is clear that my only purpose in this life is to awaken to the Self and to share whatever I find along the way with others. Through my practice of self-enquiry and yoga, I would love to share these teachings with you through the medium of Kundalini yoga and meditation. We are all serving each other as we stand as mirrors to reflect the undeniable yet sometimes covered truth of who we are.

If you feel this life is for freedom then I would love to meet you.

I am offering up an evening class which needs to be booked in advance and a drop in daytime class.
I am also opening up a meditation evening at my house where we can sit together and rest in silence.

Here are the following details about what is coming up:

Wednesday 6:30-8pm: Beginner's Kundalini Yoga course, Yogi Smith Studio, Stoke. Start date: 30/3/2016
This is a 6 week course where we will cover the foundations of Kundalini Yoga. This is an excellent opportunity to find out more about Kundalini and to experience your full potential as a human being. We will calm the mind and body with breath and exercise so we start to experience our true selves.
Classes are suitable for everyone, although please inform me if you have injuries, pregnant or have additional needs.
Yoga mats are provided for.
You will need to pay for the course up front. 6 week course cost £35. If for any reason you are not able to pay up front but wish to attend the course, please email to discuss.

Thursday 6-7pm: Tea and Meditation, Meir. Start date 31/3/2016
Come along for a cup of tea and an evening of sitting in meditation. This mindful meditation session will be an opportunity for you to unwind from the mind's chatter and to sit in the beauty of silence. I will guide the meditation. There will be tea after.
Suggested donation: £2


Friday 10-11:30am: Mixed Ability Kundalini drop in, The Hub, Fenton. Start Date 1/4/2016
This is a mixed ability drop in class, suitable for those who already have a foundation in Kundalini yoga and are looking to deepen their practice. This is more of an intermediate practice, although open to beginner's. We will be practicing different Kriya's, Meditation's, Relaxation and Mantra's. Particularly effective to change negative habits and replace them with new ones.
Please bring your own mat and blanket for relaxation.
Drop in class: £5

Please bring water for both classes.

Please email if you wish to attend. If unable to pay for course up front then open to negotiation.

Love,

Jenni

Guiding the Way

Guiding the way without purpose
You have only shown me love
How lucky I am to have found you.

I bow at your feet
A thousand times over
And now true blossoming can grow
Into this open space.

For I have no place now.
Nothing sticks.

Any veil is dissolved in this truth.
Here is my hand, empty
Please take it and lets go all the way home.

-Jenni
x

The Science of Naad

All of life vibrates around sound. It has the power to transform, heal, uplift and have a lasting imprint in our subconscious mind.

Naad is a Gurbani word, the language of the Sikh's, meaning the "essence of all sounds". Kundalini Yoga's lineage has been passed down from the Sikh master's and Guru's. 

Now for the science behind Naad...

There are eighty-four meridian points on the upper palate of a human's mouth. You can feel that upper palate with the tongue and experience its different surfaces. There are two rows of meridian points on the upper palate and on the gum behind the upper teeth.

The tongue stimulates those meridian points, and they in turn stimulate the hypothalamus which makes the pineal gland radiate. When the pineal gland radiates, it creates an impulsation in the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland gives impulsation, the entire glandular system secretes, and a human being obtains bliss. 

More than bliss. Sat (truth), Chit (Consciousness) Ananda (bliss). 

Have you ever had an experience where you are singing and you feel alive? Your heart is singing out and you feel amazing? Well chanting, reciting or singing Gurbani (or any other mantra) does that, but is also balancing your whole glandular system!

Gurbani is different from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian scripture which most yogi's are familiar with. It is not as old and there are a few more vowels added in, making it easier to recite or chant. You do not need to know what each word means for a change in consciousness to happen. It is more of a feeling your way into each word, stepping out of the mind realm and coming into the heart. It is here that the finite and the Infinite consciousness will merge.  

There are some amazing mantra's in Gurbani on the website:

www.spiritvoyage.com

Have a listen and see what you think. Mantra is a such a direct, quick route to experiencing your Self, Soul or Universal Consciousness. For me, chanting or reciting Gurbani (or any other mantra) is remembering. Remembering our Source. Our divine self. As we get lost in the world of experience and identity, any path which takes us back home is surely a good one!

Attitude of Gratitude

One of the most powerful memories I have is of laying under the blue sky on the grass one hot summer's day. The birds were singing and I could hear a plane go past in the sky. The silence behind that entered by whole being. I had no thoughts, no awareness of I, just a feeling of complete everythingness. I was listening yet part of it. I existed in that moment with the grass, the sky, the birds and the sun. The tickling of the ants on my feet were felt but no desire to react. I am free. This is heaven. This bliss. This is the space of non-duality.

When I go back to that experience in my mind it makes me cry. Not because it has gone. But it feels me with gratitude. And it feels like my heart is pouring out with thanks. Just one moment of pure clarity is a strong enough to stand as a reminder of truth.

Mooji says "tissues are for issues" but tears that come from the longing of the Divine, of God, of emptiness...these are holy waters. Allow them to flow freely. Blessed are these tears!

I believe we have all had these moments of clarity. Whilst we cannot re-create or go back to that experience, allow it to stand as a guide for you. 

Fill the heart with gratitude. 

Take some time out. 

Listen to the birds.

Immerse yourself in the perfect moment of silence.

Homemade Seitan Recipe: High Protein, Vegan

There is a lot of controversy about gluten these days. Gluten-free has become a popular marketing term and a "gluten-free" chocolate cake somehow seems to be a bit more ok than the non gluten-free version! If you suffer from gluten intolerance, then I would certainly avoid this, but for those who don't I see gluten as a very good protein source, especially if you are vegan.

Seitan, sometimes know as wheat protein, is very popular in the East. It is basically whole-wheat flour without the starch, leaving just the wheat gluten. Most of the veggie meat substitutes are made from wheat protein, but have a lot of sodium and other extra things added in for "flavouring" which alters the nutritional content of this food. Homemade seitan is super easy, very cheap and you can choose what flavours you want to add.

Nutritionally, this Seitan recipe has 28g of protein per 30g serve and 1g fat. I do not add salt in but I cook the seitan with dulse or kombu seaweed for it's iodine content and flavour. Miso also works well. 

Seitan keeps in the fridge for a week. You can use in stews, stir frys, anything really. It definitely has a meaty texture so makes a good meat substitute.

HOMEMADE SEITAN RECIPE:

Dough

• 6 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 2-3 cups Cold Water (add slowly)

Broth

• 4 cups Water
• ½ chopped Onion
• 1 Tbs. Miso Paste
• couple strips kombu
• 2 cloves Garlic
• pinch of turmeric
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine flour and water. Mix until a stiff-but-cohesive dough is formed.
2. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Cover and let stand 4-8 hours.
3. Knead the dough and rinse until water runs clear, about 10 minutes. Squeeze dough and press out as much liquid and air as possible. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the gluten into bite-sized pieces.
4. Combine ingredients for broth (or use your preferred vegetable stock) and bring to a boil. Drop gluten pieces into boiling broth and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, turning gluten pieces occasionally, until the broth is mostly absorbed and reduced, about 30 minutes. Discard onion.
5. To use seitan right away, drain. To store, cover with broth and keep refrigerated up to a week, or frozen. Thicken and reduce broth as a gravy if desired.

Making choices

I have often found myself saying things like "let God work for you" or "lets see how things unfold".

Acceptance and surrender are powerful ways of moving through life as they bring you to each moment as it is. We know that the mind likes to jump into the future, or get stuck in the past but both are still ok! There is no enemy here! I feel life is a journey of making choices and we can use lessons from the past or hope from the future to make these choices. Choices from the higher place.

Spiritual teachings talk about leaving all desire for the future as it only exists in our imagination. The mind likes to conjure up an image of yourself sitting on a couch like a sack of potatoes not doing anything. How do we make choices and live life if we don't have dreams or desires of the future?! But we can. If we listen to the heart, the heart guides us. It may not give you the result that the mind wants but we still have yearnings. As a human being we all have this inherent sense of evolving and to get away from suffering. Each moment gives you choices and it is the practice of listening to the heart that leads you to your dreams.

Dream big.
You can have success, money, good relationships, intimacy, health or a nice house. If that is what your heart really wants. If it is based around fear, conditioning, social conventions, lack of, then you know it is not fulfilling you.

I used to feel inadequate or not "spiritual" enough as I had secret desires of owning a converted barn with a forest garden to grow fruit and vegetables. I love fitness but kept it quiet as I thought it wasn't spiritual to push your body and mind with weights or cycling. I should be content with everything meaning I am a calm person who meditates and practices yoga all the time. Now, I embrace all my desires. I am content with them all. And I try as much as I can to be led heart over mind.

Play the game of life but AS life and in LOVE. Why not? Let's see what this year brings...

Find your Gift

Let's get straight to the point here and ask "the big one".....

What is your purpose?

What is your individual gift that you can offer? 

I love asking these questions to myself over and over as it changes so much depending on where I ask it from. If the mind is asking then it tends to think in a more logistical, practical and productive way like a set of certain skills I have. This is constantly shifting and evolving as I learn new things and become more experienced in the skills I do have.

If I ask from the heart, then it is always the same answer. My purpose is to realize my Self and live in love, from love and to love. Then your gifts just come out of this space.

When we add these two answers together, we get a nice little result. We are able to put out into the world what we have learnt or are good at on a practical level, but from the heart. You just know when things are in flow or not.

So with that in mind...ask yourself the questions. Write down answers, but also meditate on it and drop into the heart.

You just being You is the Greatest gift you can give. You are an embodiment of God. What greater gift is there than that?

For a Tantric Numerology Reading of your birth date which gives you your GIFT number, follow the link:

https://www.3ho.org/tantric-numerology-reading

x 

How to Overcome Winter Depression

Winter blues are most definitely a real thing!
If the sun is out, then it is getting shorter and shorter. The nights draw in and darkness prevails! But it's kind of ok because we keep busy and there's always Christmas round the corner.

I am a big lover of Xmas, not in the novelties and tinsel sense, but I love the SPIRIT of Christmas. A chance for all to come together, even if you are alone there is a sense of oneness. There is exchange of gifts and life is celebrated...together. Every culture or religion has their own version. The relentless ego is not at the forefront as much, as we contemplate, love and receive.

So why can't we do this more often? I believe it is because we forget who the true owner is. Our ego's play such a convincing game at being real that we cannot see the there is a Divine play unfolding in front of our eyes, and we are leading the starring role! It is like an actor believing that they are really in the film and take their character home with them.

We can still play out personality and different identities but when we become so entangled in them, it always ends in trouble!

So how can we keep this essence of Christmas, a remembrance of love and life, with us on a more permanent basis? Or just to beat that Winter Depression.
Perhaps for you it is to meditate 20 minutes a day (my current commitment!), or perhaps it is to meet someone truly in the eyes during your day, perhaps it is to have touch with someone who doesn't experience much love, perhaps it is to give some food to someone. Whatever gift you can give, just try it. Start from now!

Vitamin D: I don't personally take Vitamin D, but there is a lot of evidence out there suggesting that it can help out with lack of sunlight. I sometimes do a few minutes on a sun bed, but make sure you use responsibly.

Take herbs: St Johns Wort, Valerian, Liquorice, Mallow, Chamomile are all good herbs to make into a herbal tea or take in supplement form.

GET OUTSIDE: Just going out of the house certainly clears the cobwebs. Morning time is best.

Remember, just take one thing and keep it simple and rest assured you are not alone if you feel down during the Winter.

Lots of love and warmth.

I know you care for your friends, you care for your job, you care for your children, you care for your future. There's not one item on the menu that you do not care about. But I just want to tell you, don't forget the owner of the whole thing is God Himself—the spirit, the breath of life-Yogi Bhajan

Life in Love..with God

All Being's share one longing...to feel love, contentment and happiness in whatever expression that appeals to that individual. There is not one right way and there are certainly many many ways to go about this. I strongly believe we are multifaceted beings and different paths come to us at different times, but the difference between someone digging a hole to find the gold and someone digging many holes but never quite reaching gold is the key to true wisdom and understanding.

Speaking from my own experience, I have certainly dabbled here and there in spiritual and physical paths. Some have lasted longer than others. Some have taken a backseat then reappeared years later. But throughout, I have always been that person to go fully into whatever it is I am seeking. Over the years and after gaining experience, I now approach sadhana, or daily discipline training the body and mind to serve the soul, in a somewhat different space. 

Before, I was driven. Driven by strong identity with Jenni, yogi, devotee, cyclist, health foodie, meditator. If I missed a practice, there was a shame and guilt that was felt by the Ego. I never thought about who was practicing, who was eating, who was healing, who was developing. 

So how do things stand now?

Well, I do Sadhana. It is not always yoga. Most of the time it involves some body movement, either cycling, running or strength training. But I do it out of love for life. For my body, to focus the mind and to follow my heart. I feel aligned so I can make the best choices each day. And it is a DAILY practice. If it gets missed, then I certainly make "lower" choices throughout the day. There is quite a bit of dogma about what sadhana is and how "spiritual" it is. In my opinion, as long as you are identified with person then any practice you do will just go round in circles. 

Non-personal sadhana really has a different flavour. I can see the irony in this statement, and I know there are individuals out there who really DON'T need any sadhana. They have been kissed from within and that has had an everlasting effect. But for those with mind's like a spaghetti junction, sadhana is a start. 

So EVERY DAY, uplift your Self to your highest potential. It doesn't have to be big but keep it consistent. Keep refining, balancing, be steady and strong and surrender to life. 

Sadhana is a lifestyle which allows you to overcome low self-esteem or self-destructive tendencies. 

If you feel ready to start a daily sadhana then please get in contact and send an email. I can send you a Kundalini Kriya, Meditation or, if a workout programme is more aligned to you then that. I am trialing this out so it is FREE, I just need some information about what it is your heart is reaching for.

Email: jennicodd@hotmail.co.uk

The uncomfortable side of Self-love

Aaah self-love time. Make yourself comfy with a warm blanket and cup of hot cacao. Put those tired legs up and just unwind....you've worked very hard today and deserve a bit of you time. Everything is so fast these days, time to sloooow down.

Or is it?

We all have an idea about what self-love means. The above scenario is indeed a type of self-love but what about the other sides which the ego may find uncomfortable. As we all know and get told repeatedly, life is about balance. We need the action behind the thoughts and we need the rest and recovery to check in with ourselves. This varies from person to person, depending on lifestyle and what your passions are and it is your journey to know your limits.

Now to throw a spanner in the works....The psychological mind is very clever at PLAYING self-love when actually what we really need to grow is a bit of pain and discomfort in our lives. You do not have to go out of your way to find this pain, trust in life to serve you exactly what you need, but do not always believe your minds perception of what self-love is. It is not always a big hug. Sometimes it can be getting up at 5am to do your meditation. It can mean feeling the pain of drug or alcohol withdrawal. It could mean feeling the wrath of loved ones as you start to find you true freedom. You could feel isolated, lonely, angry and yes...this is a form of self-love. 

As you start to break away from your belief systems, the mind is going to give you hell. It simply does not like it. Why? I don't know, but the prize at the end of it all is beyond anything you could ever imagine. True freedom is everything. 

Layers of identity start to peel away and when it can be seen from a true perspective, those times when you thought you were being self-loving were just pandering to the mind's beliefs.

And remember, it's all good.

Fly free. 

xxxx

Spiritual Warrior

If I had no fear I could do........................................

Imagine that, a life with no fear? Is fear not the main emotion that holds us back from what we really want to do, be, achieve?

We have all felt that crippling sense of panic overwhelm us in a very quick swift swoop. Sometimes it lingers for a moment, sometimes it can escalate into a full blown panic attack or we can go for years with a cloud of anxiety and fear hanging over our heads.

Fear is a completely natural, logical response to a dangerous situation like a elephant charging towards you or your house burning down. The fight/flight response is activated, adrenaline is pumped around the body and bam! you are in survival mode, but is this necessary for bumping into an ex? Or performing in front of people? Or thinking about that presentation you have to give out at work? Well yes and no. 

Nerves can be performance enhancing but quite often they can get the better of us and turn us into a wobbly, shakey pile of jelly, unable to think clearly and the ego gets a good old kicking. Shame, guilt and anger shortly follow.

We cannot avoid these situations, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes it is our karma that we need to burn through a deep seated fear so life will keep offering up these opportunities for us to go through. We need it so we can grow. Trust this and you will find that courage.

So how to get through it? Well there are a lot of tools out there to help. I would suggest keeping it easy and simple as too many things can overwhelm the mind and fear feeds off this. 

For me, I found the practice of Kundalini Yoga very powerful to find the courage to release the fear. Finding that self-love so you can trust in life's lessons and see everything in the light of the Divine.

Self-enquiry with Mooji helped me realise that any emotion is just a story narrated by the sense of ego/person and if we are able to drop the identity then no matter what psychological and physiological issues we are facing there remains something which is untouched, constantly perceiving all of this.

So whenever you feel the fear, find that inner spiritual warrior, and seize it, own it. Listen to what the fear is telling you. Do this with love and ease rather than a forceful nature, remembering that everything comes and goes when it needs to. 

Fear is powerful, but not as powerful as love. 

MEDITATION — FOR THE RELEASE OF SUBCONSCIOUS FEARS

To begin: Sit in easy pose with a straight spine, chin slightly locked with eyes 1/10th open focusing at the third-eye point with elbows bent so each hand is at your ear level just in front of you. Your palms will be facing forward, flat open with your fingers pointing up. Keep your arms relaxed and resting close to the body. Extend your tongue out at its length. Lightly rest the top teeth across the tongue. Inhale through the mouth in a long, gentle breath, so that you can feel the breath along the sides of your tongue.On the inhalation, mentally repeat the sound, “Go.” Exhale through your nose and mentally repeat the sound, “Bind” . The mantra “Gobind” means to sustain and protect thyself and has been broken into two parts in this meditation. Go is the sustaining factor that surrounds the essence, and Bind is the essence, the nucleus, the seed of the self, the inner point or center. Continue for 3-11 minutes.

To End: Inhale deeply, bring your tongue back into your mouth. Exhale and stretch your hands and arms toward the sky.

Comments: Sometimes at a very early age, fear becomes a part of our subconscious. As adults, we may show this unconscious fear as fear of loss, separation, abandonment, or feelings of helplessness. Sometimes it shows itself in feelings of not really being sure of ourselves. This meditation will help release subconscious fears and will give you a secure sense of yourself.

KUNDALINI CLASSES IN STOKE:

Fridays 10-11:30am, The Hub, Fenton. £5

Please bring mat, blanket and water.

Master Your Domain

Sat Nam all,

For those of you that are not able to make it to class but would like to have a practice at home, here is a great video for you to try out.

As busy daily life can cause tension in the mind and body, we can become stagnant and feel just a bit off. Our energy levels start dipping and we can feel like we are just keeping up all the time without flourishing in the way you know we should be.

This Kriya moves the glandular system and restores the nervous system. Flushing out toxins and bringing prana to the cells allowing you to meet life's challenges with ease and grace. To keep focus on living from your heart and all it's desires.

Click on the link below and enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=97&v=hiWDwhQRVQg

CLASS UPDATES!

NEW CLASS TIMING:

10:00-11:30am

Price: £5

At The Hub, Christchurch Street.

Shall look forward to seeing you :)

You are warmly welcome regardless of ability, gender, age, profession, health state, busy mind, quiet mind...just bring your good selves and let the Kundalini Yoga do it's work.

Please email jennicodd@hotmail.co.uk if you plan to attend.

One year later...New Kundalini Classes Stoke

Date, Tamarind and Lime Chutney

Time has gone by and it has been over a month since I last wrote on the blog. 

I have been meaning to, but it just hasn't happened. Ooopsyy.

So, let's try and get the ball rolling again. I feel this time of year is very renewing and there have been a few changes for me.

I haven't been experimenting in the kitchen as much lately. I have fallen off the raw food "gourmet" wagon and have been loving eating lots of simple raw meals emitting overdose of nuts and seeds, mainly of one thing...fruit. I know everyone says this type of thing but I can't believe how much it has improved my digestion. My tummy is SOOOO happy. I have learnt a lot about what combinations of food are not good for me by cutting back on everything. And eliminating most things...although I still am nibbling on the cacao. So, although very exciting for tummy, not very blog worthy if I just tell you about my divine mango moments I have. God I love mango's.

I've also been a lettuce head lately and chomping down on those green leaves. Lettuce makes me feel amazing and slightly euphoric? Give it a go, eat a head of lettuce at a meal and see if you don't start to get giggly. 

This is the chutney that I made recently for my little leaves. You can thin it out with water to make more of a dressing, or keep it thick and creamy for a chutney.

Date, Tamarind and Lime Chutney

• 6 dates soaked in water
• 1 tbs tamarind paste
• juice of lime
• garlic clove
• inch turmeric root (or powder)
• inch ginger
• 1 chilli

Blend. Add water so you get desired consistency.

Once of the sutra's for the Aquarian Age (the current age) is "when the time is on you, start and the pressure will be off". All you (I) have to do is breathe, sat nam, and start. It is that easy! 

Sat Nam

The Five Sutras of the Aquarian Age

1. Recognize that the other person is you.
2. There is a way through every block.
3. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off.
4.  Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times.
5. Vibrate the cosmos, and the cosmos shall clear the path

Raw Food Movement is a bit of a mess...

Good day y'all

So you come to raw food as you have met someone who has got amazing glistening eyes and a certain energy of stability, grounding yet lightness..or you have a dis-ease which makes you look at health in a new light..or you want to sort out your yo-yo weight problem once and for all..and that skin problem which has been around for a few years. Whatever your reasons for coming to living food, it is not a minor change in your life, your whole lifestyle can change. Your whole consciousness changes. Suddenly you start being aware of the plants around you, you want to take your shoes off and dance in that field. You feel like you are connected to a whole breathing living organism, you start awakening...you want to detox all that crap that you have put in your body. Those trauma's and emotions from the past start to get healed. 

You are healing.

Months go by, you start to find out about new pieces of equipment, a new "superfood" to buy, fermenting foods, raw dairy, high fat, low fat, fruit diets, wild greens, drinking urine, eating insects...

eating cooked food?! What the *^"$^.

HAHAHA. a wee bit confusing.

The raw food movement certainly is a web of contradictions and confusion. This really is such an individual journey. If you have just begun, or are a long term veteran of raw food the only way to go is YOUR way. I am so thankful of all the information out there, but people spreading the word need to remind others that there is not one UNIVERSAL diet for everyone. Life is changing. All the time. We are evolving, but all at different stages. Drop all fear surrounding food. Let's get out of our little bubble and look around at life. 

For me, I like to eat raw food. Simple and easy. I am not into taking lots of supplement or superfoods (although I am making raw chocolate at the moment so tasting is part of the job!). I take Kelp as a supplement for my thyroid, although I still don't know if I need to be taking it. I like fruit at the moment and having a break from the fats. I do not make heavy nut based sweet things anymore, although they do look and taste yummmmmmy. I like to experiment with herbs and I have found a new love of mushrooms. I absolutely love to go out foraging and picking things from the wild, nothing beats that. I do have some raw milk kefir and fermented foods as my digestive system is still healing from years of anxiety, drugs and alcohol and parasites. I am still very much healing. I do not feel I have reached my optimum level of health by any means, but I know I am a damned sight healthier than I used to be.

Yey! Now let's do a little dance...

The NEW higher charged GOLDEN MILK

There are some necessities in my daily morning routine that really are necessities. Cold shower is one (this is my coffee hit) and TURMERIC and MACA are the others.

After i finish my yoga, I look forward to my little mixture I have of raw milk kefir with turmeric, maca and a few sprinkly yummies on top (bee pollen, chia, stevia). I love the taste combination of the maca with the turmeric and the sweetness of the stevia to compliment it. You may have come across Golden Milk in the Kundalini Yoga community, but this is the creme de la creme.

Lets look at the ingredients here...

• half cup raw milk kefir
• 1 tbs Maca
• 1 tsp of Turmeric (or more if you fancy)
• 1 drop stevia
• 1 tsp bee pollen
• 2 tsp chia seed

So we have the amazing probiotic properties of the raw milk kefir (can look online how to make), the hormone balancing, energising yumminess of the maca, the b vitamins and protein from the pollen, and the omega's from chia.

Turmeric has been an amazing root for my aching body. Despite my daily yoga practise, I often wake with a stiff and aching body. If I don't have turmeric then this often becomes worse. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory root which aids the liver to detox. It has curcumin in it which is said to prevent cancer, aids digestion, aids metabolism amongst many other things. This would be my number one superfood. 

You can also apply it directly to an open wound and it is a great healer. When I cut my ankle in India, my Indian friend ran over and put a load of turmeric powder on it and it stopped bleeding and healed the next day. Amazing.

Add it in smoothies, mix it in kefir yoghurt, eat the root raw, mix it into raw sauces, make turmeric ice cream from frozen bananas. Get creative in the kitchen with turmeric, my favourite "superfood". 

BY THE WAY, i have NOT done the liver flush yet. I seem to be resisting it...there obviously needs a lot of work done. Will keep you updated. In-Joy.

Homemade Toothpaste

Sat Nam everyone.

As I was nearing the end of my toothpaste the other day I thought, why don't I just make my own for a lot cheaper, I know where the ingredients have come from and can tailor it to my needs. I can honestly say this is the best toothpaste I have every experienced. My teeth look noticeably different, whiter and feel cleaner. So here it is, a recipe for kosher toothpaste:

• 1/2 cup bicarbonate soda
• 1/4 cup of organic extra virgin coconut oil 
• 5 Tbs. xylitol 
• 2 tsp of peppermint/fennel/whatever you fancy essential oil
• optional- I used 2 tsp of ayurvedic tooth powder which contains black salt, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, clove, cardomon. Salt is very good for the gums.

Just mix it all up in a bowl. If you need more sweetness use more xylitol, which has been proven to heal cavities. If you need less, use less. Etc. You can also leave it in your mouth for a while and do some oil pulling with the oil. Just swish it around your mouth and don't swallow it for 10 minutes or longer if possible!

You can put your new toothpaste into a jar. 

Yey for shiny teeth!

<3

Let the Liver Live

Hello all.

Firstly, apologies for not updating the blog more. I would like to be putting up material more than I do, but I have been occupied with sunshine, festivals and chocolate. When we have time we don't know what to do it with, but then suddenly we do not have any time. What's that all about?! Although I know that I have needed to do these things for myself i.e. be in the sun and practice yoga. Do you have a part of your day which is an absolute necessity for your wellbeing?

I do, and if I am not able to do my practice in the morning, I feel like a slug. A very sluggy slug. 

I have just come back from teaching at Raw Fest, a beautiful conscious event. Have come back with inspiration and felt some profound shifts happening within myself there. Where I am living at the moment is quite isolated and I do not have much interaction with people, so it was great to check in with myself through relating to others. We really do hold up mirrors for each other. 

One of the key things I have returned back with is the importance of the liver. Yes, that organ which I have abused for about 10 years and have never really given much thought about. I know lots of people who have done Liver Flushes but I have never been that interested or felt that I needed it. Until now. I realise, this is where ALL the toxins are broken down. So much importance is put on the digestive system, but this is just the eliminator. It is actually the liver which removes toxins. And not just physical toxins, all that anger, frustration, guilt, shame. This all gets dumped into the liver. Sorry I have neglected you Mr. Liver.

I am gearing myself up for a Liver Flush within the next couple of weeks. I will be following Dr Jubbs protocol. It looks pretty horrendous, but I feel motivated. And quite excited to see how many stones I have collected...there is something very satisfying when you see all the mucoidy crap come out your body. I'll keep you updated.

There is a Kundalini Kriya called Let the Liver Live, which I have been practicing lately. It certainly brings up a lot of anger in me but feel like I shift a lot afterwards. Here is the link

https://clabue.wordpress.com/tag/chakra/

Recently, I have been mainly having liquids as my diet. Smoothies, soups, teas but we got some nice mustard leaf, sorrel and nasturtiums in the garden so had a very nice salad. I truly love a good salad. Hope you enjoy this.

Summer Salad with Basil Dressing

Serves 2

Dressing

• 1 cup fresh basil
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
• black pepper
• celtic sea salt
• 1/4 cup water (or more if necessary)

Blend and pour over salad. Give it a good squelch with your hands. I find it very sensory to connect with food in this way! All this knife and fork business is weird!

Salad

• head of organic lettuce
• handful of mustard leaf
• 2 avocados
• 4-5 mushrooms thinly sliced
• alfafa sprouts
• nasturtiums

BE WARNED: copius amounts of lettuce causes mild hysteria. No, really, I end up laughing for hours. Think it's something to do with the opiates...

Strawberry Swirl Cashew Cheesecake. nom.

I was debating whether to post this or not, but I thought I cannot possibly keep this to myself as that is just down right sacrilege. There is a lottta strawberries at the allotment at the moment so instead of pick one eat one I have made a cheesecake to say thankyou Earth for those lovely little berries that you produce. And to save myself from berry overload. The freezer is chocka.

This is the first time on the laptop in a while and it has been such a nice break. Computers, amazing as they are, drain my energy like a thirsty leech. But after a break, it is nice to be back. Change is good, and taking a break gives you a new perspective. 

I love change.

And cheesecake.

Strawberry Swirl Cashew Cheesecake

8inch Cake Tin with removable base-12 slices

Base

• 1/2 cup soaked almonds
• 1/2 cup brazil nuts
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tbs carob
• 1 cup dates
• 1 tbs algaroba powder
• pinch sea salt
• 3 vanilla essence drops

Blend the nuts till almost flour consistency. Add the dates. If the dates are not soft enough you can add a tiny bit of water to soften. Add in half the coconut and rest of ingredients. With the remaining coconut sprinkle this on the bottom of the cake tin so it is evenly covered. This makes it easier to take out. Place in freezer whilst making the filling.

Filling

• Juice of 2 organic lemons
• 2 cups soaked cashew nuts (soak for at least 5 hours)
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3 drops vanilla essence
• pinch sea salt

Blend all ingredients and pour into chilled crust.

Swirly Topping

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 cup raw honey

Blend and pour on top of mixture. With a chopstick or end of spoon, swirl in the mixture so you get a marbled effect of the cashew filling and strawberry. Decorate with love and beautiful things! I used coconut, dried rose flowers and more berries! This will set in 4 hours in the freezer. Before serving, take out 15 minutes beforehand. You can put it back in the freezer if you have a good amount of self-control.

In-joy

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