Perfect Peace

Meditation is key. In order to live fully in the present moment we must find a silent, peaceful space to reflect and to simply be. Amidst the barrage of distractions that exist in our current lifestyles, the importance of  nurturing a calm space within is often overlooked. This calm space can be found in the meditative experience. Meditation has changed my life. During a very difficult period after I suffered a great loss, being in a silent space, absent of thought and activity, saved me from what could have been a debilitating depression. I was blessed to find some wonderful books to guide me on this path.

 
The Infinite Way, a book on Christian Mysticism, paved the way for me to step out of grief and into the perfect peace of God. It relates the specifics of Christ's teachings and how to implement them into our daily lives. The awakening that this book provided for me has been absolutely magnificent. I literally carried this book with me everywhere I went and referred to it whenever I became despondent or out of balance. The message is very practical and provides a real method for experiencing peace right now regardless of the circumstances. Over the years, I have read all of Joel Goldsmith's books and have been intensely influenced by the meditation practices. Here is a video offering a short introduction into a very special one that I use daily.

On this journey to know joy, peace and harmony despite my coming face to face with the death of a loved one, I have also been Divinely led to wonderful guides and teachers. Lillian DeWaters' book, The Light of the Eternal is a splendid ode to the joys of living in conscious oneness with God. This particular quote resonates with me so deeply,

"In our real Being, we are a Reality which has never begun and which will never end."

I Love this very simple yet profound truth and every word that she writes has a similar clarity and vision. You can find her book at Absolute1.net, a very lovely website with many downloadable audio books. The brilliant Eckhart Tolle and his seminal work,

 
has opened up my understanding of God and the multitude of ways that I can bring the Divine presence into my daily life. Go Here to discover what I have gleaned from his and other great sage's wonderful teachings, and now offer to you in my new book,  I AM: You Power This Life.

I have fallen into deep love with and reverence for the Psalms in the Bible. Psalm 23 and Psalm 19 have been such a constant revelation for me. I have discovered that these words are to be lived not just recited and the joys of reflecting on them have been manifold. Daily meditation has enabled me to stay centered as a mother and not react to my daughter, but to enjoy and love her. I have, through silent communion with God, released obstacles from my life, so that I live joyously, freely and without fear. My ability to attract positive circumstances into my life is greatly increased as I spend time in meditative reflection. And most significantly, I have come to know God as a real, felt and constant presence in my daily life. I certainly give thanks for this and am filled with gratitude. Please take some time today to be silent in a peaceful place and come into a state of oneness with the Divine. This practice will supersede all else in its ability to change and enrich your life. Of this, I am certain.

Namaste

                                                                                     

It has been 21 days since I started my cleansing fast and the effect that this detox has had on my body, mind and spirit is incredible. My energy level, creativity and inner peace have increased exponentially. Some days I even feel as if I am walking on air. Like, today! There is a lightness about me and a buoyancy in my step. I am certain that all the days of fasting, juicing, eating living foods, doing Yoga and meditating have purified my body, freed my mind and allowed my spirit to soar. The heights to which my spirit is soaring, I could not have predicted when I began. But, Oh, am I thankful and full of gratitude for this opening, this expansion. If there were a Yoga pose called Thank You, it would probably look like this.

Namaste (The divine in me salutes the divine in you) is actually a symbol of gratitude and this pose fits my sentiment well. After my morning Yoga, I was so inspired that I went on a passion filled, soap-making frenzy. These are all organic, pure and natural soaps and they are made with so much Love! Have a vicarious sample of the Kenyan Clove and Lesotho Lavender pictured here. I just want to bathe all day with these gems. They smell so rich and lather so soothingly. As always, I just can't wait to give some away. That special reader who through email or comment introduces me to their most loved African country will receive one of these sweet soaps!

Now that I have reached the 21 day mark on my detox path, I am going to venture into the cooked foods arena. Eating Raw is great for cleansing and rejuvenating, but sometimes you want to broaden your repertoire in the kitchen. I love to cook healthy, soul-satisfying delicious foods. So, here are some suggestions for amazing, healthful and organic high quality seafood, dairy and more. If you like pasta, but understand the detrimental effects of too much wheat gluten, try this Brown Rice Pasta from Trader Joes. The spiral shaped ones are beyond good!

For a more traditional pasta with a smidgen of wheat, these Eden brand Udon and Soba noodles are so absolutely, astonishing good. Trust me, you will not need any other pasta after you try this.

I mix them with Toasted Sesame Oil and Braggs Liguid Aminos , a little Cayenne Pepper and Oh, is it outstanding.

If you want to try some top of the line Seafood, that has not been farmed or injected with colorants, this Smoked Salmon is the best. Have it with some cherry tomatoes and you will be in for some pure taste delights. I love the Grindstone Neck of Maine and Blue Hill Bay varieties.

I still like to eat lots of living raw foods throughout the day to add that much needed enzymatic activity to the workings of my digestive system. A wonderful and large delicious salad packed with greens and reds and purples is always the order of the day.

And of course, lots of organic fruit for snacks. Apples, Pears and Satsuma mandarins, mmmmmm! Believe it or not, you can actually eat the Meyer Lemon like an orange. I do. They are one of nature's best kept secrets!

And for dessert in the evening, a nice Raw Ice Cream or Gelato invariably hits the spot. This stuff is so good, so rich and so scrumptious, you will have a tendency to skip regular ice cream in pursuit of it. Better still, it is made not with dairy, but with cashew cream. I grew up eating ice cream every night before bed, so I understand the addiction and the subsequent asthma, allergies, acne and mucous congestion. And this is why I am so grateful for the people at Organic Nectars who make this. The Pistachio and Chocolate Hazelnut are my favorites.

I know, sometimes you may want the real thing. In this case, the best dairy to have is that which comes from the humble goat. Yes, goat milk, goat cheese and this amazing Goat Milk Yogurt. I love to mix it with bananas and enjoy its luscious consistency and tangy flavor. I was introduced to this Redwood Hill Farm yogurt years ago at a farmer's market in Berkeley, CA. The company was small and relatively new, but now you can practically find this star product anywhere! I love the Wildflower Honey and the Strawberry.

For more excellent recommendations for meals that support a detoxed body, take a look at this wonderful book, Blissful Detox.

 

Thank you again to Temari O9 on flicker for the wonderful painting!

Sun Light

Ahhh, the sun is shining today and its light is magnificent. This beautiful photograph by Temari 09 on Flicker.com illustrates the beauty of our glorious sun so exceptionally well. A wonderful way to bring the sunlight into your day, even if it's cloudy outside, is the Sun Salutation. This wonderful series of Yoga poses captures the reverence and awe that we all feel for the sunshine.

Light is as important to good health as quality food and peace of mind. Both metaphorically and practically speaking, the degree of  light in our lives influences the way in which we see the world, feel about ourselves and sense the deeper spiritual essence of all things. To be the light of the world is to embody God, to live in Truth and to understand purity in all its myriad forms. A great way to harness light is through the use of crystals. Crystals are miracles of nature, rocks and stones transformed into channels of light and energy. Due to their multi-faceted formation, they absorb the qualites of the atmosphere around them and intensify, cleanse and enrich anything near. Like angels condensed into form, crystals have been reputed to heal and uplift, either by being worn on the body or placed in a room. I have some lovely crystals that I place around my home to enhance the harmony, peace and light that abounds. Here is my beautiful quartz crystal, a favorite for almost 20 years.

Rose quartz is another amazing transformer of energy. It is wonderful for revitalizing love and compassion within oneself.

These spectacular little gems are amethyst, blue topaz and blue tourmaline.

Light can also be brought into your experience through a wholesome living foods meal. Living food is food that is alive and full of the light and life that comes from the sun. It is not cooked, sprayed, processed or otherwise adulterated. Just pure and raw. When you eat it, that life energy goes straight into your cells and enlightens them! I have had the wonderful opportunity to sample live foods from some of the absolute best sources. I always feel so bright and charged after enjoying one of these meals and so, I would like to share them with you.

When in NYC, I love to relish the raw Lasagne at One Lucky Duck. This is just a joy to eat.

The Guacomole Tacos served up at Pure Food and Wine are also raw and delicious. They always put a spring in my step.

And the Raw Sushi is a real treat. No white rice, no raw fish, just organic uncooked vegetables.

While my body is using minimal energy to digest these goodies, I am using the leftover spark to light my way around the Union Square Farmer's Market, which is wonderfully open year round.

Speaking of farmer's markets, which I love. In fact, I am a connoisseur of  farmer's markets and have been to atleast one on just about every continent on the planet! The San Francisco Ferry Plaza farmer's market is another delightful one.

While in San Francisco, I love to dine at Cafe Gratitude, another one of my favorite places to go and be inspired and enlightened by my meal. All the items on the menu have names like I am grateful or I am pure. The atmosphere in their restaurants is decidedly euphoric and I love spending a meal there.

They have the most amazing sampler plate filled with all raw olive pesto, cashew cream, hummous, kale and much much more.

Their spectacular desert of all raw Truffles is my absolute favorite. Okay, I think I said that before. But, anyway, these are soooo good.

And if you are like me and want to try making them yourself, check out the Cafe Gratitude Raw Deserts "cook book"

Another place that is just outstanding for its live foods selection and the pure, boundless energy of each and every item they offer, is Glaser Farms in Miami. I simply glow for their huge array of scrumptious dishes. There's so much to choose from and their snacks are to live for!

Try their raw Cashew Nut Milk and you will never drink cow or soy again! Relaxing on the beach in Miami, sipping this invigorating elixir, I am one with the pure light of the sun and with all of it's positive attributes.