Cooking with Jazz: Apple Spice Ritual Bowl w/ Berry Compote

Apple Spice Ritual Bowl w/ Berry Compote
by Jasmine De La Paz

I love to cook, and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I found the meals that taste the best, are the ones I prepare when I am totally calm, relaxed, and patient with the food. When you take the time to really put thought and effort into your cooking, the results are so amazing! I feel we need to treat our food with respect and honor all the nutrients and energy it provides for us. Too many times we rush through preparing and eating meals, just to hurry back to day to day tasks. I totally understand this, as life is busy! However, it is so much better for your digestive system to plan meals in advance, prepare them so they are as nutrient and digestible as possible, and put care into the creation. When you have a healthy digestive system, you have a happy and healthy life - trust me!

I like to "infuse" my food with high vibrational sounds! I know this sounds kinda crazy, but if you have taken my yoga classes you know I love to incorporate sound healing. Not only does sound healing help my meditation and yoga practice, but it also infuses my foods with positive energy. You know how some people talk to their plants to help them grow? Well, the same applies to food (especially if you are growing your own fruits / vegetables). My ritual is to play very relaxing music, such as Laraaji while I am cooking. I also brew my kombucha in my sacred space, so that it absorbs sounds from my crystal bowls and gongs. You can also simply send positive thoughts to your food while preparing it! Find a ritual that works for you, and roll with it. I promise your body will thank you for it later.

This Apple Spice Quinoa Ritual Bowl is so delicious, full of a variety of proteins, healthy fats, probiotics, fiber, and high vibrational energy!

Apple Spice Quinoa Ritual Bowl

Serves 2
1 cup cooked quinoa (soaked in water overnight / made with coconut milk)
1/2 cup oats
1 cup almond or coconut yogurt
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 apple grated


Directions: 

Soak your quinoa in water for 3-4 hours. Rinse and drain, and cook with coconut milk. If your coconut milk is divided, simply blend the coconut cream with the water for a smoother consistency.


Once quinoa is cooked and cooled, throw everything together in a bowl, stir, and leave in the refrigerator overnight or for around 6-8 hours so it fully absorbs the liquid and flavors, and the oats and seeds have enough time to break down enzyme inhibitors and become less acidic. Always remember to soak nuts, seeds, grains, and beans to improve their digestibility and unlock nutrients.

We will be serving this at our next Breakfast on the Patio, May 6 from 10:30-11am - it is F R E E for those who attend a class at 9:15am, 9:30am, or 11am!

Reserve your spot online today!
namastehighlandpark.com/workshops 

Meditate on This.

M E D I T A T E  ON  T H I S

H I S T O R Y
The earliest known records of meditation come from the Hindu tradition and date back to 1500 BCE. While the origins of Buddhist meditation are up for debate among scholars, there are written records found in the sutras dating back to 1st century BCE. By 20 BCE, meditation was emerging in the west in the form of "spiritual exercises" that integrated concentration and attention.
During the middle ages, meditative practices arrived in Japan from China and became an integral part of Japanese Buddhism. The Japanese monk Dosho opened the first meditation hall in Japan after a visit to China in year 653. After a trip to China in 1227, Dōgen, Japanese Buddhist priest, writer, poet, philosopher, wrote instructions for Zazen, or sitting meditation, and created a community of monks focused on this practice.
From here, meditation became a part of the Jewish tradition through meditative prayer, mizvot, and study. Sufism also began incorporating meditation through the practice of breathing controls and repetition of holy words. In the Eastern Christian tradition, meditation can be traced back to the Byzantine period in the form of repetitive phrase and prayer in a specific physical posture. Western Christian meditation took a different approach as it does not traditionally include repetition or a specific posture, but instead is practiced by monks as Lectio Divina, aka divine reading.
During the Hindu revivalism in the late 1800s, new schools of yoga developed alongside secularized yoga traditions such as Transcendental Meditation, Hatha Yoga, and Ashtanga Vinyasa School. These secular schools focus on stress reduction, self-improvement, and relaxation, rather than spirituality. Despite many the studies on both forms of the practice, the exact power behind the practice remains unclear.

B E N E F I T S

Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve concentration
Decrease depression
Improve resilience
Encourage healthy lifestyle
Increase self-awareness
Increase happiness
Increase acceptance
Slow aging
Improve cardiovascular health
Improve immunity
Ease chronic pain
Boost mood
Balance eating habits
Increase focus
Boost creativity
Improve breathing and heart rate

H O W  T O

Sit comfortably on a chair, cushion, or bench with your back straight.
Eyes can be open or closed, whichever makes it easiest to focus on breath.
Look slightly downward whether eyes or open or closed.
Hands can be in any position, legs crossed however you like.
Set a timer.
Bring your focus to your breath.
When your mind wanders, guide your attention back to your breath.











T I P S


Start in small increments. 10 minutes to begin, then increase.
If you can't concentrate, try counting your breaths.
Out breaths tend to be when the mind wanders.
Choose a gentle alarm.
Don't judge yourself for a wandering mind, simply bring your attention back.








W H O,  W H A T,  W H E N,  W H E R E

Monday & Friday :: 12:30-1:30pm :: Yoga & Meditation :: with Sondra Sun-Odeon

Tuesday & Thursday :: 5:30-6:30pm :: Yoga & Meditation :: with Nora Brank

Sunday :: 9:10-10:30am :: Yoga & Meditation :: with Nora Brank

*S P E C I A L  E VE N T *

Visual Meditation Open House

Sun, April 23 :: 7:45 pm - 9:00 pm

Donation-only meditation open house featuring visual art and melodic sounds by artist, Stephen Linsley. Come and go as you please  and get lost in SlomOcean, a video series featuring the beauty of waves crashing below Southern California piers, which will be projected on the large wall in our peaceful Sanctuary studio and accompanied by meditative music.

There is no need to pre-register or bring a mat. All will be provided.

Donations go to Inner City Arts.





article sources: wikipedia.com, alfieofproductivity.com, liveanddare.com
images: Dave Getzchmann