THE HEALING POWER OF BEING WELL FED
Hello there and happy Tuesday! I hope this week finds you daring to do more of the things you love. I'm drinking Aztec Chocolate tea from Neverland Tea Salon this morning (you must try it!) and thinking about the healing power of feeding myself.
Before I get into it, don't forget to sign up for the Community Chat on May 9th and the Community Yin Class on May 11th. We're going to have so much fun!
Here's a fun fact you didn't ask for (you're welcome)! My house smells like beans. Not the best smell, I grant you. But it smells heavenly to me because once those suckers are done soaking, I'm making stew.
It's been a busy and challenging few months for me. I've been struggling with my mental health and finding balance in my life. And as tends to be the case when this happens, everything begins to slide. My daily habits, my regular sleep schedule, my movement practice. All of it tumbles downhill until I find myself tumbling with it.
And as exhausting as it can be, I've been here before and I've been waiting for the moment to arrive where I feel a shift. It always arrives in unexpected ways, and no matter how much I'd like to be in control of it, it usually surprises me. And this time is no different. Because this time, it's food.
A few weeks ago, I got an email with a recipe for this cake and I felt extremely pulled to make it. It's an ambitious recipe for me, but I got so excited to try it that I didn't question it. The cake was delicious and the act of baking it felt really soothing to me. I was feeding myself and a good friend. We both recently had birthdays, so of course there must be cake! It was warm and delicious and served with tea (naturally). Look, I hate to be a cliche, but that cake felt like a warm hug. A delicious almond scented warm hug.
A few days later, I got an email from my local bookstore telling me that the book I'd ordered came in. I had no recollection of ordering a book, but I love it when I preorder something and then it surprises me months later. I strolled over to get it, and it was a freaking recipe book! More cooking!
For the past week, I've been making it a priority to get in the kitchen and feed myself! Some things are as simple as old favourites or trying different kinds of fruits and vegetables, and then when I have time, I'm finding new recipes to try. I've been scouring over the Rainbow Plant Life website and making her Miso Mushroom Risotto, Butternut Squash Lentil Curry and today will be a White Bean Stew and Cornbread. I've also got some cookie recipes on the brain because I love love LOVE a sweet treat with my tea. And my coffee. And my general existence.
Cooking and baking have been a wonderful way to do something for myself when I haven't felt like doing much at all. And as an added bonus, connecting with food is a wonderful and warming reminder of how far I've come in my life and my body. Where it used to be a minefield of stress and calorie counting, it's now a space where I enjoy whatever feels good in the moment. It's not a struggle I ever thought I'd get over in this lifetime, and it reminds me that I can do hard things.
I trust that this hard time will pass. And until then, I'm going to feed myself well and with love.
As always, I'd love to hear about it! How do you support yourself when you're going through it? How do you feed yourself and has your relationship with food changed over the years? Let me know in the comments below.
As you move through this week, remember to treat yourself and your body with love, respect and kindness.
Much love,
Helen xo