Stones for the Heart Chakra

Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is known as the love stone. It is said to draw love, encourage compassion and forgiveness. Rose Quartz replaces negativity with harmony. Enhances self-confidence and creativity.  Aids kidneys and circulatory system, promotes release of impurities. It believed to help with increasing feelings of self-worth (being worth love). Rose Quartz opens the heart to love.

 

Malachite  
Stone of balance and transformation.  Brings to understanding processes in one's life and body, assisting in one's spiritual evolution.  Stimulates intuitive power, making one more open to change and advancement.  Malachite also represents fidelity, loyalty, practicality, and responsibility.  Allows for insight into emotional factors that may be manifesting as physical illness.  It is known for protection against radiation and for strengthening immune system.  Eases delivery in birthing, and also facilitates the re-birthing process, as it helps one to recognize and clear past negative experiences. Malachite is believed to be a strong protector of children. It is said to protect the wearer from accidents and protects travelers. In the Middle Ages it was used to protect children from witches and other dangers. To help get rid of nightmares, keep a piece of Malachite in your bedroom.
 

Good Morning Sunshine Solar Granola

 
Good Morning Sunshine Granola

• 2 Cups Rolled Oats
• 2C Hulled Sunflower Seeds
• 1/2 C Ground Flax
• 2C Fresh Pureed Pineapple (add a little water if needed to make it nice and soupy)
• 1/4C Maple Syrup 
• 1/4C Shredded Coconut
• 3-4T Grated Fresh Ginger (to taste)
• 1T Cinnamon

Mix Oats with Pineapple puree and let marinate overnight in the fridge. Mix Pineapple/Oats with Sunflower seeds, ground flax, maple syrup, shredded coconut, dried mango, ginger and cinnamon.
* Yummy mixed with coconut ice cream or so delicious coconut milk - and a few slices of fresh mango on top.

Crystal for the Navel (Solar Plexus) Chakra

 

Citrine: Encourages self confidence and self realization. Protects from the negative energy . Is sometimes used to stimulate digestion. * Citrine has been called the Merchants Stone. Carrying or wearing Citrine is believed to have a positive effect on cash flow.

Lemon Ginger Solar Tea - Solar Chakra

The Solar Chakra is considered the seat of your emotions. Food wise foods/herbs that assist the body in the assimilation of food are highlighted... I decided for this post to make a lemon/ginger sun (solar:) tea. Lemon and ginger are known for aiding in digestion (* ginger is also known to calm upset tummies - great alone sliced and steeped in hot water)

Lemon Ginger Solar Tea
1 Large Gallon Jar
Fill Jar - with Water throw in a sliced largish knob of ginger
Place all in a nice sunny window (with a cover) and let steep for the day.
When "tea" is done steeping remove from window and add juice of 2-3 fresh squeezed lemons and maple syrup to sweeten (to taste) stir and pour over ice in glasses.
* This tea is also great if you used fresh mint leaves for your "tea" base.

Just a mention for anyone who hasn't been following - I'm posting food and other random stuff for each of the chakras over the next few weeks surf back to "Chakra Food & Juice Project" for the original post.

Nut Mix for Sacral Chakra

Nuts/Seeds are also good for the sacral chakra full of good fats and grounding proteins... I decided to do a repost for this of my recipe for holiday spiced nut mix.

Holiday Spiced Nut Mix

• 4C Walnut Halves (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 4C Pecans (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 4C Almonds (soaked at least 6hrs)
• 1C Hemp Hearts
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2C Maple Syrup
• 1T Cinnamon
• 1/2C Dried Cranberries

Dehydrate nuts for 24hrs after soaking (not hemp hearts), Add maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon mix well, add hemp hearts mix again until well coated. Dehydrate on screens for another 48hrs mix in dried cranberries.

BTW: Incase you didn't know why soaking nuts and seeds is a good idea.

The main reason soaking nuts and seeds is so important is because they contain enzyme inhibitors. By soaking the nuts/seeds you remove these inhibitors so your body is better able to digest the nut.Soaking times vary. Generally the more dense the nut, the longer you should soak it.

Crystal for the Sacral Chakra

Carnelian: Helps the user absorb vitamins, warms and cleans the blood, kidneys, strengthens the reproductive system and was used in the past to help pull fever out through the feet. Also a good stone for those with allergies or lower back pain. Carnelian is the stone of ambition and drive a great stone to assist in making choices. It is known as the survivor's stone because it is said to protect the owner from negative emotions. Carnelian is believed to increase physical energy (including sexual), promotes courage and self-esteem. Carnelian is a good stone for creative types (especially actors or singers) because it instills confidence, enhances creativity, individuality and courage - is believed to help the owner remember lines and lyrics by attracting the right words :) - * another great stone for singers/actors is Blue Kyanite (throat chakra) it is supposed to help keep your voice strong and clear

Sacral Fruit Salad

 My first recipe for the Sacral Chakra is a refreshing fruit salad (photo coming :)

Sacral Fruit Salad

• 1 Mango cut into chunks
• 1 C Sliced Strawberries
• 1C Honeydew Melon balled
• 1C Cantaloupe balled
• 1/4C Shredded Coconut (try to use fresh if you have it)
• 1/2C fresh Orange Juice
• 1/2C fresh Coconut Water
• 1tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2tsp ground caraway seeds
• 1tsp honey, agave or maple syrup

Mix Fruit in a large bowl. Wisk OJ, Coconut Water, Cinnamon and Caraway Seeds and sweetener pour over all and toss. Let marinate for 15 minutes before serving.

A meditation for the sacral chakra...

Pink Moon - Full Moon In Libra

Moon in Libra - Sun in Aries.

Today when the moon enters Libra we may find ourselves drawn to focusing on relationships (with ourselves and with others). With this moon we are encouraged to try and strike a healthy balance between meeting our own needs and being mindful to the needs of those around us. This moon encourages us to communicate our needs to others but, also to listen when we are being told what others require from us. Over the next week seek to find a balance between your needs and the needs of those around you. Examine if you are giving too much to yourself or to those in your life and neglecting your own needs - if you ask the questions this moon will help you find ways to balance the two...
* A note about why this moon is known as the Pink Moon - according to the farmer's almanac The Pink moon is named after wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month’s are Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon.

Root Chakra - Crystals

I decided today to post on some of the best crystals for the root chakra. I know I'm supposed to be working on my food/juice project but, hey I love collecting crystals so I couldn't resist sneaking them in here... I'll make it brief then get back to the food :)

Using crystals to balance your Root Chakra may help with issues of survival (depression/staying grounded in reality), sexual dysfunction (too much or not enough), and in increasing self confidence.

Red Garnet: Red Garnet combines the energies of the root chakra, heart chakra and crown chakra, offering physical, emotional and spiritual support.  Red Garnets are believed help you stay truthful, grounded and compassionate. It is thought that Garnets assist with recovery from trauma or illness and that they support the health of the lower organs in the body. An aside that I find interesting about garnets is that they were the most popular wedding stone before diamonds took over.

Black Tourmaline: Is said to both repel and protect against negativity. Black Tourmaline is believed to work well with the Root Chakra because it is said to increase physical vitality. It also helps to ground, balance and focus when everything around seems to be in disarray or chaos.

Red Jasper: Is believed to calm and stimulate the root chakra. In some Native American cultures Red Jasper is believed to be the blood of the earth making it a very sacred stone. Red Jasper helps connect one deeply to the vibrations of the Earth because it is believed to be full of earth energy. It sustains and supports during times of stress, and brings tranquility and wholeness.

If you are interested in the healing properties of crystal and how to use them there are lots of great sites on the net that are full of information. If you are serious about learning more one of the best reference books written on the subject is called "Love is in the Earth" by Julianne Guilbault. I'll try to link it to my amazon store here soonish so it is easy to find.

Muladhara Smoothie (Root Chakra)

Another recipe for the root chakra.
 
Red Root Smoothie

• Juice from one pomegranate (to juice a pomegranate easily try using an old fashioned metal juice press)
• 1C Frozen Strawberries
• 1/4C Black Cherry Juice (I use the organic bottled kind - I know not fresh but still a good source of iron)
• 1/2 Frozen Rasberries
• 2T of Hemp Hearts
• 1/2 C Coconut or Almond Milk

Blend all except hemp hearts in a blender until smooth, sprinkle hemp hearts on top or mix in by hand. Chock full of good for you vitamins/iron/good fats and protein.

Root Chakra - Meditation

and a little meditation for the root... (certain tones are believed to activate and balance the chakras).

Root Chakra Grounding with Yoga Poses.

This teacher is so great. A nice series of Yoga postures for the Root.

Chakra Food & Juice Project - Root Soup

After some thought about how best to do this I've decided to work from the Root Chakra up food wise. For the root we want to consume foods that make us feel "rooted" safe, stable. Root Chakra foods are proteins, root veggies, and red coloured foods. My first recipe is for a really yummy raw (or you can cook it if you like) "Root Soup"

Root Soup

• 5 Large Plum Tomatoes
• 1 Large Red Pepper
• 1/2 Medium Beet
• 1/4 C Pine Nuts
• 1/2 Small Jalapeno Chili Pepper (to taste)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4C Chives
• 1T Horseradish

Put all except chives into a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy - sprinkle with chopped chives. Nice cold or warm. Nice topped with a small dollop of fermented cashew nut cheese.

Pike Place - Yum!

Finally some photos from Pike Place Market in Seattle - a great place to spend the day if you are a foodie. Lots of fresh veg and fruit from local producers, dried goodies, oils, vinegars - a wonderful spice/tea shop. I loved wandering through here (also a great little juice stand across the street from the market with green juice, fruit juice and wheat grass shots). 

 We are just coming out of winter in the Yukon so to see this much fresh produce had me snoopy dancing and seriously thinking that I might wait another month or two before returning home. My friend Pam stood patiently by as I went snap happy with her camera (mine suffered an untimely death right before our trip). Pam is well aware of how food crazed I can become and put up with my excitement as I bounced from stand to stand ohhing and ahhing at it all.


One stand was full of dried goodies - lots of locally grown dried apples... Dried Veg mixes that were really good too. Another stand had locally grown dried cherries. The market isn't just food there are a lot of artists/craftspeople here as well. My favourite place to visit in Seattle hands down. Starting my Chakra food project this weekend...

Oil Pulling Update...

I posted a couple of months ago about how I've been using coconut oil to do oil pulling (swishing). I stopped doing it last month when I got the cold/flu but, my Mom continued and tells me that she has been doing it for 2 months now every day. She switched from using coconut oil to a high quality olive oil because of the cost. She says her teeth feel stronger and that she feels she has more energy during the day than she used to. My Mom feels that doing oil pulling is helping in subtle ways to improve her health day to day. I'm inspired to start doing it again. I'll post again on this in another month or two :) Chakra stuff coming...

The Chakra Juice & Food Project...

 

I did an online Chakra Test a little while ago for fun and to find out which of my Chakras might be under/over active. Chakras are said to be energy centres of the body. The word Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit. The lower Chakras rule our instincts/urges and the upper chakras rule our mental stuff.  There are seven Chakras; the root, the sacral, the navel, the heart, the throat, the third eye, and the crown. Each Chakra has its own colours, crystals/stones, essential oils, meditative chants and what not that are supposed to help shift energy and open or regulate each chakra. So how does this relate to food? Well there are foods associated with each chakra as well so I'm thinking (of course :) Chakra food and juice! So in the spirit of can't hurt/might help - I'll be experimenting with & posting recipes for the chakras in the next few posts.

My Results..
Root: under (-31%)
Sacral: under (-6%)
Navel: under (-44%)
Heart: Open
Throat: Open
Third Eye: Open
Crown: under (0%)

A Bit About Each Chakra Crown
Colour: Violet
Stones: Clear Calcite, Clear Quartz, Selenite, Amethyst
Food: Endives, olives, mushrooms, soy bean, fasting / detoxing
Air: Incense and Smudging Herbs: sage, copal, myrrh, frankincense, and juniper
Incense and smudging herbs are not to be eaten but are ritually inhaled through the nostrils or can be smoked through a ceremony pipe for purification purposes.
Scents: frankincense, sandalwood, jasmine, rose, elemi, rosewood, neroli, patchouli, myrrh, ylang ylang, galbanum and vetiver
7th Chakra Crown: Connects you with message from higher realms. Personal identification with infinite. Oneness with God Peace Wisdom






Third Eye
Colour: Indigo
6th Chakra: Third Eye
Stones: Amethyst, Iolite, Angelite, Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Barite, Phenacite
Food:Dark bluish colored fruits: blueberries, red grapes, black berries, raspberries, Purple asparagus and grapes
Liquids: red wines and grape juice
Spices: lavender, poppy seed, mugwort


Scents: tea tree, lavender, clary sage, geranium, lemon, chamomile and rose
Often connected to the forehead.
Clearing subconscious to channel intuition. See Divine perfection in all things. Devotion

Throat
Colour: Blue
Element: Air
Stones: Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Blue Lace Agate, Blue Kyanite, Blue Calcite, Chrysocolla, Amazonite
Food: Liquids in general: water, fruit juices, herbal teas Tart or tangy fruits: lemons, limes, grapefruit, kiwi Other tree growing fruits: apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, blueberries, eggplant, blue cabbage. Spices: salt, lemon grass

Scent: clove, myrrh, lemon, sage, tea tree, peppermint, sage, frankincense, rose, jasmine, rosewood, elemi, sandalwood, neroli and ylang ylang
5th Chakra: Throat: Tied to creativity and communication.
Feels pressure when you are not communicating your emotions properly.Ability to Verbalize Expressing truth through power of the spoken word

Heart
Colour: Green
4th Chakra: Heart Chakra: Blockage can manifest as a weakened immune system
Element: Air
Stones: Emerald, Malachite, Jade, Peridot, Chrysoprase, Rhodonite, Red Coral, Kunzite, Rose Quartz
Food:Leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, dandelion greens, etc. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, squash, Leafy vegetables, peas, avocados, green apples, green grapes, broccoli, green pears, limes, kiwi fruit Liquids: green teas Spices: basil, sage, thyme, cilantro, parsley


Scents: rose, geranium, palmarosa, neroli, elemi, melissa, hyssop, rosewood, chamomile, ylang ylang, galbanum, angelica and jasmine. system or heart problems, or a lack of compassion. 
Releases emotionally suppressed trauma. Soul/heart consciousness. Expressing love in action.

Solar Plexus/Navel
Colour: Yellow
Element: Fire
Stones: Citrine, Malachite, Pyrite, Amber, Topaz, Moonstone, Prehnite
Food: Spices: ginger, mints (peppermint, spearmint, etc.), melissa, chamomile, turmeric, cumin, fennel, Granola and Grains: pastas, breads, cereal, rices, flax seed, sunflower seeds, etc. Lemons, rock melon, yellow pumpkins, mangoes, pineapples, yellow pepper
Scents: frankincense, rose, myrrh, melissa, neroli, elemi, rosewood, sandalwood, chamomile, and rosemary, peppermint, black pepper, lavender, chamomile, lemon, ginger, cardamom, fennel, bergamot, and rosemary.
3rd Chakra: Solar Plexis: Seat of Emotions. 
Assimilation experience. Digestion. Positive use of personal power. Manifest goals.

Sacral
Colour: Orange
Element: Water
Stones: Carnelian, Fire Opal, Orange Kyanite 
Food: Melons, Mangos, Strawberries, Passion Fruit, Oranges, Coconut, Nuts, Cinnamon, vanilla, carob, sweet paprika, sesame seeds, caraway seeds, Carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, corn
Scents: Clary Sage, Elemi, Fennel, Galbanum, Geranium, Jasmine, Melissa, Neroli, Rose, Rosewood, and Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Geranium, Elemi, Jasmine, Lavender, Melissa, Neroli, Patchouli, Rose, Sandalwood, and Vetiver, Anise, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Fennel, Garlic, Geranium, Juniper, Lemon, Rosemary, and Sage.
2nd Chakra: Spleen: Located just beneath the navel (3 fingers below), and is related to our sexual and reproductive capacity. 
Utilization of creative forces into all aspects of being. High soul procreation. Direct self toward devolution.

Root/Base
Colour: Red
Element: Earth
Stones:  black tourmaline, garnet, bloodstone, red jasper, fire opal, obsidian, smoky quartz
Food: Root Veggies, Carrots, Parsnips, Radish, Beets, Onion Garlic, Nuts, Tomato, apples, red pepper, pomegranate, water melon, red capsicums, red radishes, strawberries, rhubarbs, cherries, red grapes, raspberries, chili powder, almonds and chipotle pepper
Spices: Horseradish, Paprika, Chives, Cayenne
Scents: sandalwood, cypress, elemi, cedarwood, and rosewood.
frankincense, clary sage, geranium, rose, melissa, vetiver, patchouli, and ylang ylang.
1st Chakra: Located at the base of the spine.
Ground spirit forces in body, gain ability to work lovingly on the physical plane

What I'm Reading - The Natural Vegan Kitchen

 

I was sent a book to review for the site called "The Natural Vegan Kitchen" by Christine Waltermyer who runs the Natural Kitchen Cooking School (New York & New Jersey). I love me some free cookbook swag so I was all over this book as soon as it arrived in the mail. My graphic designer side enjoyed that the book was nicely laid out and easy to read with lots of colour photos. The book is a traditional Vegan/Macrobiotic Cookbook and is choc full of creative easy to prepare recipes. The chapter on sauces and dressings is mostly raw and has some really great ideas - her "Mom's Dynamite Greens Dressing" tastes like a honey mustard dressing (without the honey :) and goes really well over a spinach salad. All recipes that use grains are labeled gluten or gluten-free which is really nice for those of us who are trying to avoid gluten. If you are new to vegan cooking eating high raw for the winter months or want a simple/easy (tasty) cookbook for preparing wholesome vegan meals it is well worth a read.

Home again home again...

Just home from a great vacation. Lots of photos from the  Pike Place Market in Seattle - including HUGE garlic and the BEST apple chips I've ever had (YUM) - we spent most of the day there and it really wasn't enough time. The Cold/Flu that wouldn't go went - I'm putting it down to warm weather the ocean, the dessert, rambling about.  Will post soonish after I unpack and resettle into my life :)

Landslide...

Still Sick

I've been sick with the flu on and off now for over a month. I've had to miss a lot of work and am still struggling with a deep rattling cough. I've mentioned quite a few times that my immune system is delicate but, I'm feeling pretty down about just how sick I've been. I've fought this with everything I have and it still doesn't seem to be enough. My doctor told me I need to stop being so stressed out about it and just be sick. Not being stressed is difficult with life concerns looming and everything needing to be put off. Trying to have faith that my body will repair itself soon and I will be able to pick up things where I left off a month ago and start to move forward again...