Meditation and loving kindness? Bah! You say, “I’m not doing it!” ” I can’t do it.” You’ve tried, even if reluctantly, because you’ve heard of all the benefits, but it just doesn’t seem to work for you. You’re brain jumps to 10 million-thousand thoughts! Good grief, things you haven’t thought about for years and years come out of the woodwork! So you give up and simply declare meditation is just not for you. That experience is what meditation experts call the  ‘monkey mind” and what you might not know is it happens to everyone. Everyone. Even those who have been meditating for years.

But you remain intrigued. You keep hearing others talk about the benefits they’ve experienced from even just 5 minutes of meditation everyday. You’ve even heard how meditation can improve memory and concentration abilities, so despite your resistance, you remain intrigued.

I offer you three great starting places to experiment with that were game changers for me. Authors and spiritual guides Sharon Salzberg,  Janice Lynne Lundy and Byron Katie introduced me to all three.

In “Real Happiness,” Sharon Salzberg offers up several approaches to meditation and includes a CD with audio guidance. The ‘Breath’ meditation is the one that changed my experience with meditation because Salzberg very lovingly guides her readers/listeners with pointed instruction on how to deal with the seemingly endless thoughts that rise up, which do leave many of us feeling very defeated and inept. The magic happened for me when she suggested that rather than make myself wrong when confronted with a stream of thoughts, that I actually greet each thought as I would a friend who came to visit me, with great kindness and curiosity. To notice why these thoughts keep rising, what lessons they might have to offer and then just let them gently go, with no wrong-making. If you are interested in giving meditation another try, I assure you, Salzberg’s guidance is a game changer.

Janice Lynne Lundy, author of “Your Truest Self,” among many other transformative works, introduced me to metta, the practice of loving-kindness. A Buddhist tradition, metta is considered by many a very supportive consciousness practice akin to traditional meditation, with the intention to cultivate compassion and unconditional love for all beings. With a few short seemingly benign verses, metta offers a transformative and very powerful heart-opening, heart-softening effect.

One breath. One verse. Practiced slowly and consciously. And the magic begins to unfold. Practiced for thousands of years by many, the meditator begins by cultivating loving-kindness for self, and then moves on to teachers, loved ones, friends, strangers, and then even their enemies and then to all living beings. As Lundy personally guided me, the direction for the verses is to stay with self until we feel the softening in our heart. Then we move outward to others. Even if it takes a year or more for you to feel compassion for yourself and your journey, stay with the verses as directed.

To begin, recite for 5 minutes:

• May I be safe.
• May I be happy.
• May I be healthy.
• May I live with ease.

During my Sacred time of personal spiritual direction with Lundy and the many lessons she imparted, she offered up this gorgeous quote from Buddha to impress the power of metta, “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”

Byron Katie, author of “Loving What Is” made a profound impact on my meditation experience with one sentence, though everything she has written is a very worthy read. Katie, said “let yourself experience being breathed.” These 5 words stopped me and caused me to pause and really reflect on what she meant. It initially sounded funny, “let myself be breathed.” And under thoughtful reflection, I thought, WOW, right… I am breathing with no effort of my own. I just breathe. That the life-force that sources my breath actually causes my breath to happen. The thought that something beyond me was sourcing my breath in a very real and literal sense caused a profound connection that I had not experienced before with my breath and meditation practice. Katie’s suggestion is a worthy consideration, as you experiment with ways in finding what works best for you. You never know, one of the suggestions I offer may very well move you forward in creating a meditation practice that reaps all the benefits research suggests as possible, such as less anxiety and stress, greater inner calm and creativity, improved memory and focus and a more compassionate heart. Any one of these benefits makes meditation worth trying!

 

 

Tis’ the season for light, bright, refreshing elixirs! And while lemon is in season in my house everyday, my probiotic lemonade will not only taste delicious, it will reduce bloating, boost weight-loss, help clear your complexion, and offer all the excellent detoxifying benefits each ingredient provides! For this wonderful drink, mix:

• 2 liters water
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 4 capsules of probiotic
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 10-12 spearmint leaves

Add 2 liters of water to a container. Add peeled cucumber slices, sliced lemon, freshly grated ginger, and spearmint leaves. Steep overnight in the fridge and enjoy. The taste is so refreshing and delicious. The benefits are so healing. Cheers!

Makes 2 – 4 Servings

Mindfulness bells are the coolest thing. So … in your smart phone, in the clock, set bells to go off all day to empower you in all the ways you are committed to creating! This one daily practice alone can shift your psychology in spite of the ways bad habits and social conditioning pull you out! Ding! 

CHIA SEED PUDDING

(Makes 1-2 Servings)

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (powder or alcohol free vanilla)
• Dash of cinnamon Dash of ground ginger
• Stevia to taste

Mix your chia seeds and non-dairy milk in a bowl or Ball™ Jar. Add the sweetener (optional), cinnamon, vanilla and ground ginger. Mix (and/or shake) thoroughly and allow the seeds to gel. This process begins to happen in less than 2 minutes, but let it set for at least 15-30 minutes for the seeds to fully “hydrate.”

Top your chia pudding with fresh fruit. Serve immediately or store in your fridge.

NOTE: I make this pudding ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight. You can also serve this chia pudding warm in the morning on a chilly day. Simply heat and serve with fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

 

Sauteed Broccoli with Sundried Tomatoes

(Makes 3-4 Servings)

• 4 sundried tomatoes
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into florets
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

MARINATE YOUR SUNDRIED TOMATOES. Chop your sundried tomatoes and place them into a small bowl. Juice large lemon and add to the sundried tomatoes. Allow the sundried tomatoes to marinate for 10-15 minutes to allow them to soften and absorb the lemon.

PREPARE YOUR BROCCOLI AND GARLIC. Chop your broccoli into bite-sized florets. Wash thoroughly in a colander. Set to the side. Mince your garlic.

SAUTÉ THE GARLIC AND BROCCOLI. Add 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a pan and allow it to heat up over low heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic. Allow the garlic to slowly cook in the warm oil for 2 to 3 minutes. When the garlic is fragrant and translucent, add the broccoli florets. Toss broccoli in the garlic and oil until fully coated.

ADD THE SUNDRIED TOMATO MIXTURE. Once the broccoli is coated in the garlic and oil, add the sundried tomato mixture, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss. Allow the broccoli to steam for 2 to 3 minutes, but be sure to leave al dente (firm and nearly raw to retain vital nutrients). At the end, I love to squeeze a little extra lemon over top! So delicious! Buon Appetito Sauteed Broccoli with Sundried Tomatoes! 

Makes 2 servings

FOR THE SPRING VEGETABLE NORI WRAPS:

• 4 nori sheets
• Pumpkin seed pate
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup fermented purple cabbage
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1/4 cup sprouts
• 1 small cucumber, sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1-inch of ginger, shredded
• hot pepper, chopped (optional)

For the LEMON GINGER DIPPING SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1TBSP ginger, finely grated
• Sea salt to taste Black pepper to taste

PREPARE YOUR DRESSING:

Add Dijon mustard, liquid sweetener, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk until well incorporated. Set Aside.

ASSEMBLE YOUR WRAPS. Lay out a nori sheet on a clean, dry surface. Layer the pate and vegetables about 1 inch away from one of the sides. ROLL THE WRAPS. Take the 1-inch side and roll the nori sheet towards the opposite end. Try to roll it as tight as possible without tearing the nori sheet. When you roll the nori sheet to the end,  place a drop of water on the end tips to keep it closed. Slice the wraps into one-inch pieces. Serve with lemon mustard dressing… and BUON APPETITO!!