The Alchemy of your Nourishment

I find myself in full 'drama-queen' mode about being bored with what to cook, with cleaning the kitchen, with preparing lunch boxes, and with my kitchen being so extra tiny small. I then, notice myself also, avoiding anything to do with it, withdrawing from the kitchen as much as possible, dreading it, keeping myself away from it as much as possible. Lately, I had been seeing with much clearer understanding this part of me, that complains about things (this is my very moaning drama-queen), and had been nourishing her. Obviously not with complacency but rather with deeper curiosity and with the intention of making a deeper query of where is this voice hiding, where is it coming from, what does she want, why is she not wanting to show up fully and likes to simply hide and complain.

This is the perfect example of one of those shadows we carry, that seem to not exist but that end up dragging us into a place of full discomfort, or denial or pure nagging. In this case, the kitchen, the nourishment of body and soul.

I acknowledge, this is, and has been an old habit of my eating-story where I escape from food, feeling not interested at all in it, and lacking any kind of motivation.

What is your story with Food? After years of working as a Health Coach, I have seen that all of us have a food story. No exceptions to this. We all have hidden beliefs ingrained in our mind and body. From vegan, vegetarian, paleo, sugar-free, wheat-free, raw, nut-free, dairy-free, carb-free, low-fat, high-fat, macrobiotic, Ayurvedic, functional, frutarian, fruit-free, pescetarian, ovo-lacto, anti-inflammatory, mediterranean, broth-based, plant-based, meat-based, slow, local, organic, ecological, on-budget, calorie-counting, you name it. We all have one belief that seems to anchor us, define us, label us, makes us feel safe, at home, in a sacred place.

We are just so busy, so not interested in going there, to the 'kitchen-belief-system', as it touches so many shadows, so much pain resides here. We are juggling so many things and the last thing we want is to overhaul our eating patterns. It can feel so overwhelming, especially if we have a lifetime of food stories—perhaps an eating disorder, or maybe your meals were strictly observed and controlled, or maybe they bring so many emotions from your home roots and childhood. There can be so much here, that we leave it behind and deal with the rest of our already chalenging life.

Nevertheless, as I say to the clients I work with: "As way we eat, our life unfolds". The focus and love we place in our food shows then in how our life unfolds. Food and life connected in essence. So there is no way out, at some point we have to go there, to that dark place, to that tiny kitchen, to that dark spot and work out our mind and emotions there. I invite you, dare you, to go to this place, your inner kitchen, where all the old patterns reside... and sit there, and see what there is, and heal it, how? with conscious choices, with holy acts in your kitchen, with smart steps.

My personal challenge (maybe you can join me in this one) is to go to your kitchen, and make it beautiful. Put some good nice essential oils in your soap, and when spraying to clean feel the aromatherapy in action. Hang a nice postcard or hang a mobile or light some incense or pick some wild flowers in a jar and let them nourish your eyes. Make your cooking space and time a mindful act of beauty, even in the tiniest of kitchens. I come sometimes with my music and dance and sing and whisper prayers as I prepare meals. That changes my perspective, this becomes a sacred act as I embrace the simplest of meals. It heals me, it heals the food, it becomes an alchemy of nourishing the space, the ingredients and myself.

Eat to feel alive. Eat to nourish. Eat to heal. Let your meals be an inspiring piece of art.

Sometimes we need to schedule a short detox for yourself to get back to a space where you can truly sense what your body feels and craves and start to reboot your senses and your relationship with food. But in anyway, don't let this shadow overtake your energy, for sensuality and joy in life is expressed through the food our bodies receive. When we are in alignment with our food, we start to connect bigger dots, bigger energetic threads.

We start making more conscious choices, having more conscious relationships; with food, with others; we begin making connections where we perhaps haven’t seen them before: between a paper napkin and a tree, a plastic bag and oil drills, a hamburger and another living being. By healing our own torn relationships with food, we help heal a bigger connection to the outer world.

There is joy in the alchemy art of cooking homemade food. As you touch with bare hands the leaves, the stems, the grains and their inherent earth quality of sunlight, rain, and love. You get to participate in the co-creation of life, bringing a mindful connection to how you nourish your cells, your bones, your organs, how others eating your meals feel your intention in the food you prepared. I can see the effect on my boys when I cook a meal from a place of love and prayer, instead of the times when I cook a meal in desperation for the day to end.

How do you bring sacredness to your kitchen & meals?

I love to create alchemy, join me in your kitchen. Embrace your kitchen, make it shine and choose to cook as a holy pleasure.