Monday, January 31, 2011

"Most of the luxuries..."

"Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind." Henry David Thoreau


Many of the quotes I hold close in my heart and apply daily to my life come from the great thinkers of the transcendentalist movement of the early 19th century. In a time when the political, emotional and moral climate of the country was drastically changing, there emerged some great analytical minds. Minds that call us to return to nature and to our being.

At first glance this quote might induce thoughts of all the obvious things we can agree have been a detriment to our society. Weapons, the things that we invent for our "convenience" that pollute the earth, obvious things. But I want to dig a little deeper, for it is only in the knowing of the cause that we can find the clarity to eliminate from our lives the things that have become our masters. What enslaves you? What traps your mind and renders you useless to living in the now? What has become your God? Is it food? Is it the television? Is it a substance? Is it your cell phone? Is it other's acceptance? Is it power? Money?....This is a vital question that is worth answering. We are all so different yet we are the same. What entraps us has the same result for all of us no matter what it is...the result is us not being FREE.

It's an interesting phenomena, we search for the things to make us happy and fill us up but these things if found from an external source can end up enslaving us. Emerson stated, "The great genius returns to essential man." What does this mean? On a surface level, yes we can all peer into our lives and eliminate our "things." But I would urge you as I urge myself, to find the answer to the question why? Why do we need these things? What is missing in us? Can we, in all sincerity look at our hearts and say unabashedly....I'm OK? Say it out loud now as you read this. See how it makes you feel.

I am taking myself to the task of self-restoration. I have come to the belief that it is not so much in the external "finding" of who we are that we ascend to peace. It is in the work of restoring ourselves to our true being. It is an inner event. Who we really are, what we are meant to give to the world cannot be found outside of ourselves. Re-acquaint yourself with the you before you were injured by life and the other hurt people trying to find their way through the maze. Re-acquaint yourself with who you truly are unaffected and live it out daily. Turn off the T.V. and engage the human beings in the room. Begin real heart wrenching, fulfilling relationships with people. People not things. Believe me friends, no outer circumstance, place or thing will give you peace. It is only found within. Come visit us at The Wellness Kitchen sit on our veranda with some healing tea and be still, and listen. And as always this is Sarah, encouraging you to eat peacefully...

Monday, January 24, 2011

Stay connected to the sun....

"Stay connected to the sun...."

Throughout my own journey to wellness I have come across the same question many times while trying to convey the importance of whole foods. "Why would I spend more money and what's so great about organic food?" Honestly the best advice I have is this: stay connected to the sun. I'm going to attempt to explain this in the most comprehensible way that I know how. The sun feeds the grass...The grass feeds the cow...The cow feeds the soil with its waste...The soil feeds the grass that the cow eats that the sun feeds that feeds you. Say that five times fast. Now let's take a glance at conventional farming techniques as it is vastly different than sustainable farming. The chemical feeds the genetically modified corn...The cow eats the corn in a concentration camp of sorts...The cow's waste creates an environmental hazard, due to there being 30,000 cows in one spot causing a toxic wasteland of hormones, antibiotics and steroids...The cow is ill...You eat the cow.

Now cows have an intricate digestive tract that is created to solely flourish on the ingestion of grass. Grass fed by the sun and fed by healthy soil. When functioning in this natural free grazing order of things, the cow remains healthy and thriving. They are in no need of steroids, antibiotics or hormones. When they eat genetically modified corn fed by chemicals they need these treatments to stay alive. It takes a cow free grazing on grass 5 years to reach slaughter weight, it takes a cow fed on conventional western techniques 9 months. By the time they are slaughtered their livers are about 3 times the size they should be and would die very soon if not slaughtered. Why is this important to you? Because if you are eating a sick animal you are setting yourself up to be sick since your body is absorbing the cow.

This applies to any animal you are consuming. You can take this knowledge and also apply it to all fruits and vegetables...it's the same truth. Either what you're eating is being fed by the sun and the earth naturally, or what you're eating is being fertilized by chemicals and unsustainable farming techniques. Do your body a service and reconnect with the sun and disconnect from the chemical. Nothing is more vital than your food. Nothing should hold greater value while you create your budget. If this element in not taken care of correctly we will pay for it in other countless ways. Buying local organic food is an investment in your health, it is the most important investment you can make. I constantly have to remind myself that spending more money on food is my health insurance. I have to "frame" it in the right state of mind. Times are hard for most of us now. But those times can get much more challenging when you add a chronic illness into the mix. And if were eating westernized food, it is truly only a matter of time before we will be confronted by illness.

Everything you order from The Wellness Kitchen respects and follows the guidelines of local organic food. We understand that in the prevention of illness, food is the key ingredient. We also realize that if you are already faced with an illness such as cancer, the best thing you can do is eliminate the toxic intake into your body by the proper use of whole foods. It is our privilege to take care of ourselves and the earth and buying local organic food is accomplishing both. Come see us at The Wellness Kitchen and let's learn together to be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us. And as always, this is Sarah, encouraging you to eat peacefully....

Monday, January 17, 2011

"If your ever going to love me, love me now.."

"If you're ever going to love me love me now, while I can know
All the sweet and tender feelings which from real affection flow...
If you've dear, sweet thoughts about me, why not whisper them to me?
Don't you know 'twould make me happy and as glad as glad could be?...
If you knew someone was thirsting for a drop of water sweet
Would you be so slow to bring it? Would you step with laggard feet?
There are tender hearts all 'round us who are thirsting for our love;
Why withhold from them what nature makes them crave all else above?
I won't need your kind caresses when the grass grows o'er my face;
I won't crave your love or kisses in my last low resting place.
So, then, if you love me any, if its but a little bit,
Let me know it now while living; I can own and treasure it.".....Unknown


We hear it all the time. We know we should tell the ones we love that we care for them. But how many of us can say in all sincerity that we live it? Each one of us is met when we enter this world with the knowledge that we cannot know the hour, the minute, the day we will leave this place. Let us not get so caught up in our routine. What "needs" to be done. If I have learned anything worth sharing with you in my 31 years here on this earth, it is that above all else nothing is of greater importance than people. There is nothing more pressing than the exchange of love from one human spirit to another. Taking a moment to kiss your child, to hold a friends hand in their joy, to hug a loved one in their despair. These are the things that should fill our lives and make us feel worthy.

We have one another for a reason and that reason is to love. To lift each other up, to show compassion towards each other. And not just the people who look like us, or think like us, or worship the same deity as us, or salute the same flag as us. We are called to love one another, with no bounds. Let us mend our relationships, let us love people for who they are in all their imperfections, just as we must love ourselves in our own transgressions. Let us not be so callused to the world. Let us open our hearts so that we may experience true friendship, true love, true companionship. Love is the best that is in us, let us share it with each other. Call a loved one you have grown apart from, hug someone, kiss someone you love.....I know last week we spoke of Mother Theresa and her boundless compassion and love. And I write again today about love because love is what has kept me and cradled me in this last week. I write these words to pay homage to it, and the effect that it has had on my life. Come visit us at The Wellness Kitchen. We are here to lift you up. Let us learn together how to nourish our bodies, our minds and our souls. And as always this is Sarah, encouraging you to love often and eat peacefully...

Monday, January 10, 2011

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
Mother Theresa

Take a moment and read this quote again. Think on its deeper meaning and meditate on its simple yet vast reaching truth. This is the greatest call we have as human beings. If humankind could grasp and apply this one lesson, that we all "belong" to one another, there would be no war, no poverty, no hatred, no ignorance. Let us be people that live this quote out daily. Mother Theresa was a pillar of love and compassion. Her life was filled to the brim because she poured herself out and blessed the world with her gifts. This quote speaks to the better person in all of us.

This week brought unexpected challenges into my life. I have to admit I was a little blindsided and had to check myself many times to regain the right mental attitude. For some of you this week you are dealing with health afflictions, some are struggling with finances, for some of you it's broken relationships. Whatever is weighing down your heart, find comfort in the reality that we are all in this together. Look around you and when you see others, see yourself. As this week stretched me, I found great comfort in the love and warmth of my friends. Their compassion and kindness towards me was immeasurable. What would we do without each other? I'm convinced that people are all that truly matter.

If you find it hard to find someone that you can rely on, I would encourage you to first be someone others can rely upon. If you wish someone would just listen to you, be a good listener. If you desire that someone would come alongside you and lift you up, go find someone and impact their lives. If you long to be loved simply just the way you are, love someone unconditionally. It is only in the service of others that we find true happiness and fulfillment. We must step out of our own way, behind our own pain and let our gifts flow to an aching world. Fill your life with hope and compassion for others, these are the things that will cradle you in your darkest hours. When we leave this world all that will be left behind is the love we gave. Acknowledge your place in this world, you have gifts that no one else possesses, share them. Just as we are called to take care of the earth, our bodies, our spirits let us remember that we are called to take care of one another. People are living out their gifts here at The Wellness Kitchen. Loving hands are preparing healing foods. Compassionate hearts are reaching out to the community and offering education, rest and rejuvenation. Continue on your journey here with us. And as always, this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully...

Monday, January 3, 2011

"Seek not outside yourself, heaven is within."

"Seek not outside yourself, heaven is within." Mary Lou Cook

Throughout my past I wish I would have embraced this truth. It is so powerful and can reach out to every aspect of our lives if taken to heart. During this time of rejuvenation, we all look at our lives in hope of determining who we will become this year and the things in our lives that are in desperate need of change. As we glance into 2011 and imagine the possibilities, we must first begin with an introspective look into our hearts and souls. This is where true, lasting change will occur. Most of us begin the year with thoughts such as: "I need to lose weight," or "I need to exercise" or "I need to eat better." These are all vital practices of an external root, but if we want them to become steady habits, they must grow out of the realm of self-respect and self-love. We must not gain this self love because of what we accomplish or how people treat and view us. Our image of ourselves needs to come from a pure unmovable place that is deep within, a place that does not falter with the weather, the economy or the changing of seasons.

If you want mental freedom, if you want happiness, if you want peace, the first step on your journey must be in the direction of self worth. None of us will find this balance from any outer source, it is only found within. We spend massive amounts of money and time on our outer appearances and our persona. We would do ourselves a great service if we were to spend that energy feeding our souls. Out of our heart flows our lives. What is going on in your heart? What do you hold as truths? These are the things that will lead you to treat your body better and flow love out of your soul into everything you do. That is my encouragement to you this year. Make this a year of self ingenuity. You will then see your outer circumstances change, because YOU have changed. Self love begins with the realization of who we are and what we have to offer the world. That path leads to the proper treatment of our bodies souls and minds, out of respect for our being. Come see us at the The Wellness Kitchen to meditate, nurture your body with whole foods and learn. We care about you, your growth and your health. And as always, this is Sarah encouraging you to eat peacefully....