Your Alter

"You Cannot but God Can"

 This is the next chapter's motto in Marianne Williamson book "A Course in Weight Loss"

This lesson is building an alter…I’ve done this before but lost it throughout the years.

She explains how our kitchen is the alter to fear,  so we build an alter to love. A small space that you can have all your own, a table top with beautiful objects and things that bring you joy. A candle your journal which will be kept there and a place to sit quietly near it. Below is an article I found which is very helpful  in creating your alter.

How to build an altar

Building an altar is a tangible way we can make space in our homes and our lives for Spirit. An altar need not be elaborate nor associated with any particular religion. It is simply a space you create to consciously welcome the sacred to your everday life.

The first step is to decide where in your home you would like to place the altar. Is there a spot where you regularly go to pray or meditate? Ideally, you will want your altar located in a quiet area of your home where you can sit undisturbed. You may also want your altar located where you pass by it or see it often, so that it becomes a visible reminder to you of your own commitment to a spiritual path. If you are shy about your spirituality, you will want the altar in a private part of your home. If you are exuberant and enjoy sharing your spiritual journey, then you may want to create your altar in a quiet corner of your main living area. Altars can be located on windowsills, in cupboards, on tables and shelves, under cloth-covered tables, inside closets... there are many possibilities.

Consider others who live in or regularly visit your home. Obviously you want your sacred items located out of the reach of toddlers and pets. Additionally, you will probably want your altar kept out of view of people who may be offended by your beliefs. Remember, this is about your personal and private practice.

Some people utilize the four directions and create an altar in the northern or eastern parts of their home, or so that they face north or east while sitting at their altars. In many traditions, north is the direction of spirit helpers and east is the traditional direction of new beginnings and enlightening thoughts.

Some people like to use the Feng Shui Bagua to site their altars. In the Feng Shui schools which use the compass points, the NW is the traditional area assigned to helpful beings and the NE is the area for inner knowledge and self realization. In the Feng Shui traditions which use the door as a reference point, the helpful beings area is to your right as you enter, and the self-cultivation area is to your left, both on the same wall as the door.

If you are unsure where to put your altar, write your question on a piece of paper and put it under your pillow. Literally, sleep on it. In the morning, you should have an image or impression of a good location in your home.

Now that you have a location in mind, ask yourself some questions to begin to define your altar's appearance:
Do I want my altar to be public or private?
Is there anyone who may come to my home whom I do not wish to see my altar?
Are there pets or children or others with whom I do not wish to share my altar?

If you decide you would like a private altar, but you live in a public space, there are many solutions. One is to create a portable altar. You can keep your altar items in a small box or bag and only bring them out for use when you are alone. A locking jewelry box with hinged doors is another option. You can keep the box doors closed when you're not using the altar. The same holds true for a cabinet. I made a portable travel altar from cloth that folds flat to fit in a suitcase or backpack and can be set up in any tent, tipi, hotel room or conference center.

If pets and children are not a consideration, but a frequent adult guest is, you can set up an altar underneath a cloth-covered accent table. Small, round particle board tables can be purchased for less than ten dollars at most chain stores. TV trays can also serve this purpose. Add a floor length cloth cover and voila - a lamp table on top, a concealed altar underneath.

Now that you've chosen the location, begin to gather items which have personal meaning and are sacred to you. I would not presume to tell you what's right for you, but here are some ideas to help you get started:

~ representations of deities or qualities you identify with / admire / feel connected to

~ a representation of you

~ items representing the four elelments
.....Earth - stones, sand, dirt from a site sacred to you, cornmeal, tobacco, a flower
.....AIr - incense, sage or sweetgrass, a feather
.....Fire - a candle (Be sensible. Use a fireproof container. Do not leave fire unattended), a representation of the sun, an electric lamp, a prism
.....Water - purified water, holy water, a seashell

~ A bell, chime, gong, bowl or other gentle soundmaker

~ Sacred texts which inspire you

~ a comfortable pillow or rug on which to sit or kneel

~ a notebook in which to record the insights you receive after meditating or praying

All sacredness begins within. Altars, or anything else in the physical, are simply tools to help us on our journey. As you grow and change, the items on your altar may change also. Have fun with this. Leave the dogma to the dour. This is your life, your home and your sacred space. Do it in a way that feels right to you.

Using your altar:

Humans tend to be creatures of habit. We can use this to our advantage. By consistently sitting or kneeling in front of our personal altar, we cultivate our relationship with the Divine. Regular use of your altar brings more sacredness to your life and your home. You may want to start by spending 5 or 10 minutes in front of your altar every morning right after you awaken. Before long, this quiet time in the morning will be so special to you, that you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. I can almost guarantee you that if you make a commitment to spend just 5 minutes meditating* in the morning every day for the next three weeks, you'll love the results!

Look around your home and see what is represented there. Perhaps you can see a computer or a refrigerator, or a stove, a bed, a radio or television. What kinds of thoughts and behaviours do these items evoke in you?
Seeing your altar in your home reminds you of your deeper values. The presence of a personal altar in your private dwelling can prompt you to tune into your own beauty and Divinity and your connection to All Life, Light and Love.

An altar reminds us to feed our souls.

If you already have an altar in your home, play with it. If you don't yet have an altar, I invite you to make one today, and experience the serenity it adds to your home and life.

Enjoy!

Eileen Lighthawk
www.centerforJOY.org
copyright 04, updated 08

I've outlined several Green Recipes below for your delight......

Green Smoothies for Beginners

 

Basic Balance
Victoria Boutenko

1 mango
1 cup kale
1 cup water
Yields 1 quart

Rocket Fuel Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko
2 cups green or red seedless grapes
3 golden kiwis, peeled
1 ripe orange, peeled, seeds removed
1 small leaf of aloe vera, with skin
5 leaves red leaf lettuce
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Morning Zing Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko

½ bunch dandelion greens
2 stalks celery
½ inch fresh ginger root
2 peaches
½ pineapple
Yields 2 quarts

Parsley Passion Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 cucumber, peeled
1 Fuji apple
1 ripe banana
1–2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Savory Green Smoothies and Soups

Mediterranean Soup
Victoria Boutenko
3 cups spinach
3 stalks celery
1 sprig oregano
1 sprig thyme
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 cucumber
1 jalapeño pepper
1 lime, juiced
2 cups water
Enjoy with dulse leaves or flakes
Yields 3 quarts


Soup Gazpacho
Victoria Boutenko
3 leaves kale, stems removed
1 bunch basil
3 large tomatoes
2 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
1 cup water
Yields 2 quarts

Thai Soup
Sergei Boutenko
2 cucumbers
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic
6 leaves curly kale, stems removed
½ teaspoon dried turmeric powder
½ inch fresh ginger root
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts


Cucumber Dill-icious Soup
Valya Boutenko
2 cucumbers
½ bunch dill
1 large avocado
5 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed
2 stalks celery
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic
Yields 2 quarts

Green Puddings

Kent Mango Bliss
Victoria Boutenko
2 Kent mangoes
1 bunch chard, stems removed
1 pear
1 banana
Serve with kiwi.
Yields 3 cups


Green Pudding
Victoria Boutenko
1 bunch fresh parsley
5 grape leaves
½ pineapple
1 Abbot pear
1 orange, peeled
1 cup water
Yields 2 cups


Persimmon Pudding
Victoria Boutenko
3 fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeds removed
3 cups baby spinach
1 ripe banana
Yields 2 cups


The Pear-fect Smoothie
By Katya
2 d’Anjou pears
7 leaves purple kale, stems removed
1 leaf aloe vera
1 banana
Yields 2 cups


Applesauce
Valya Boutenko

4 apples
1 banana
1 head romaine lettuce
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups water
Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Body Care

Aloe Facial Cleanser
Valya Boutenko
½ cucumber
½ avocado
1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin
Apply on skin as a sunscreen, or after sunburn, or to improve overall skin health. Keep on skin 10–30 minutes, then rinse off.
Yields 1 cup

Super Green Smoothies

Victoria’s Favorite Dark Green
Victoria Boutenko
1 bunch dandelion greens
4 Roma tomatoes
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Heavy Metals Be Gone
Valya Boutenko

1 bunch cilantro
2 cups stinging nettles
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 stalks celery
1 lemon, juiced
2 mangoes
Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothie Monster
Victoria Boutenko
4 leaves kale, stems removed
4 leaves chard, stems removed
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 leaf aloe vera
½ bunch dandelion greens
3 pears
1 banana
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts


Dark Green Love
Victoria Boutenko

1 bunch dandelion greens
1 medium cucumber
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothies for Adventurous Souls

O-mega Aphrodisiac
Victoria Boutenko
3 cups wild purslane
1 small watermelon
3 limes, juiced
Yields 2 quarts


Revitalizing Energizer Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko
6 young grape leaves (they contain resveratrol, which triggers longevity genes)
3 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed
2 mangoes
1 pint strawberries
2 cups orange juice
Yields 1 quart


Summer Splendor Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko
4 leaves chard, stems removed
3 stalks celery
1 head fresh parsley
6 apricots
3 peaches
½ vanilla bean
Yields 2 quarts


“Bitter Delight” Cocktail
Victoria Boutenko

1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin
4 leaves chard, stems removed
3 cups chickweed
1 banana
1 peach
1 pear
Yields 1 quart

Green Smoothies for Children

Miner’s Lettuce Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko

3 cups wild crafted miner’s lettuce (wild edible)
2 ripe pears
½ pint blueberries
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Coco-Tango
Sergei Boutenko
Thai coconut, meat and water
5 leaves kale, stems removed
2 nectarines
2 peaches
1 mango
Yields 2 quarts


The Laughing Gorilla
Valya Boutenko
½ head romaine lettuce
2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
2 oranges, peeled, seeds removed
1 mango
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Warning: consumption of smoothie may
result in spontaneously occurring, extremely
contagious gorilla laughter


Emerald Applesauce
Aletha Nowitzky
4:5 apples
1 bunch fresh parsley
½ inch fresh ginger root
Yields 3 cups

One Day at a Time

 

Try an eating plan…what is that you ask???? Well It is your strategic personal daily guide to nourishing your body with an appropriate portion. You can create structure and approach food in a calm, balanced, rational way by using the information you have gained from your patterns so far, by the lists you’ve created with my earlier blog.

All you do is eat exactly and only what you have planned for that day. No more impulsive buying or snacking on “Only one piece…”

You will have a clearer head so that you can enjoy other things.

Start right now with a note book or on the computer and map out what you are going to eat the rest of today and the next week, if you can or do it each morning for the day. What ever works for you….This is only a suggestion, however it if works for you to keep raw and eat right, then I suggest you stick with it, one day at a time.

 Do not think of this as forever but just today or this week!!

I have explained in detail in this blog my weekly strategy:  http://rawdivinedish.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/, How I plan my weeks, but now I also plan each meal for myself. It is challenging with my family because I plan regular meal for them and mostly raw foods for myself.

You may also want to review your plan at the end of the day and affirm for yourself that you followed through with it, also doing a mental review of whether you felt truly hungry before eating, plus how you felt emotionally before and after each meal. Paying attention to details like this can help us understand more about how our healing is unfolding.

Saucy Solutions:

A fantastic way to stay raw is with a great yummy sauce at the ready… Make up a big batch of something like basil pesto, tomato sauce, a creamy cashew dip or whatever you like. Keep this in the refridge to use as & when require. You might like it for sauce with raw pasta or a salad dressing, a spread on flax crackers, a dip for crudités and so on. You can thin it with more liquid or thicken with ground flax/chia seeds. It is a great way to stay in the game, rather than saying “there’s nothing here to eat, so I’m going to eat these chips instead…” The point is to be prepared.

There is a wonderful chemical free place I get my greens and veggies from and it is great. There is a Pay as you grow program, which help me plan for the week. Check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/jettsproduce.

Versatile Veggie Dip

 

 

This dip can be made thinner to use as a creamy salad dressing or thickened with veggies for a pate to spread on carrots or crackers or to roll up in lettuce leaves or nori seaweed sheets. Take a pint container to work with you along with your favorite veggies and/or lettuce or kale leaves.
Ingredients:

• Water (start with ¼ cup and add more to make it easy to blend the nuts until smooth)
• Cold-pressed olive oil (start with 2-3 Tablespoons and add more to desired creaminess)
• Sweet: raw cashews 7 ounces (or soaked and drained almonds, pecans, etc.)
• Sour: lemon or lime juice
• Spicy: fresh-grated garlic (the longer the garlic is in the mixture the stronger it gets), fresh-grated ginger root, chilies, cayenne pepper, or some sliced jalapeno pepper
• Bitter: fresh cilantro (or your fresh or dried herb of choice), or poultry seasoning
• Salty: Celtic Sea Salt, dulce (a dried, salty seaweed) and soy sauce, tamari or shoyu (These are just three grades of the same thing.)

Mixing:

1. Blend the nuts until finely ground in the food processor or blender.
2. Add a bit of water slowly until a thick "goop" forms.
3. Add a few cloves of fresh garlic and slices of ginger root.
4. Add some olive oil, Nama Shoyu (aged soy sauce), Celtic Sea Salt and blend.
5. Taste. If too sweet, add some lemon or lime juice. If too thick for the blender to handle, add more water.
6. Then make adjustments for sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter using the above ingredients or substitutes. (I found that the chilies, garlic, salt, soy sauce, lemon juice and ginger were key for balancing the sweetness of the cashews or nuts.)
7. For extra spicy, add 1 whole chopped jalapeno pepper or other chili pepper.
8. Blend and at the end, add dried or fresh basil or cilantro or your favorite herb. (If you blend too much at the end, the green herbs will turn it an unappetizing greenish beige.)
9. Serve with raw veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, green beans, sliced sweet potatoes, tomatoes, jicama—a Mexican root that is firm like a water chestnut—bell peppers, cabbage, etc.) or with dehydrated flax crackers.

This can also be used as rich, creamy salad dressing. Just add more water and salt, if needed. This dip gets thicker when it sits in the refrigerator. You can always add more water and stir before serving.
Optional ingredients (add to the blended mix or just chop into the dip):
Grated horseradish, chopped spinach, chopped bell peppers (any color), mashed avocado, chopped tomatoes, sliced or diced green onions, or red onions.
Ideas:
Try emphasizing one herb for a dominant flavor (dill, basil, tarragon, etc.).
You can add carrots if you're using a food processor and make it into a paste and use it as a spread on crackers, rolled up in nori seaweed sheets (used for sushi rolls) or on lettuce leaves as a "green burrito."

Moving on to the Transitional Stage

Change is difficult, so if you don't have a plan it will be very puzzling to your mind and routine to just stop what you’re doing.

So, the next part is for you to make a list of trigger and vigor foods. Just write out all the foods you have a strong preference for, which set off cravings and compulsive eating patterns. These are the foods you’ll need to omit to arrive at real recovery-and every persons list will be different.

·       Include things you eat in large amounts

·       Things you start eating and just can’t seem to stop,

·       Things you eat to the exclusion of other things,

·       Those things you eat in secret after hording and hiding them form others or

·       turn to in celebration, sorrow or boredom.

They can tend to be the sugary refined foods, starchy or fatty, high in calories and low in nutritional; value.

Make it a simple list or in detail, don’t procrastinate on this one. Stop right now and start writing…

This is an excellent resource for you to have throughout this journey.

Next let’s find our vigor foods, those that promote vitality to you body, which you love. These will be the raw, health promoting foods that you already enjoy like succulent plums, strawberries, & peaches, fresh spinach and pumpkin seeds or almonds and raisins, romaine leaves….Be sure to add as many leafy greens to this list as you can because these are the major healing foods for us: balancing, energizing, alkalizing & re-mineralizing.

Also, add in any non-raw food that you enjoy for your transition, such as steamed quinoa, brown rice, cooked hummus and so on, just be sure they are whole grain and organic if possible.

This list will exercise your taste buds and retrain them into enjoying natural tastes. Your palate may be so used to eating toxic processed foods it may be hard to even sense the taste of raw foods at first, as your taste buds are so used to being blasted with all kinds of intense chemicals and flavors.

This will be your stepping stone to a new lifestyle of confidence in yourself as you grow and explore more and more raw foods that you love.

Just remember in the back of your mind that those trigger foods in your list will be eliminated from your diet completely,  if not now, at the onset of this journey, then to be at least eating 50% fresh raw organic food starting here and now and work towards a 100% at some point later.

It’s very important that this feel comfortable to YOU and meets you where you are now. Focusing on what you are restricting and can’t eat and what you’re giving up is not managing to help you feel empowered.

However, if you keep adding in more of the vibrant, fresh raw foods you DO like, you’ll usually find that your body asks for more of the same and the triggers naturally start to lose appeal….

It can be useful to post these lists right on your refrigerator, side by side, this way they are available to you to refer to in making health food choices, so your more likely to stay in the game!

Vanilla Delight Recipe

This is something a bit heavier to keep from being hungry for several hours. You can also add green powder or other supplements to this drink.

I often blend in several handfuls of sprouts or even some kale to increase my consumption of greens and also to lighten the sweetness. A great way to get greens into kids!

1 cup water
2 tablespoons raw tahini or more depending on how many calories you want
1-2 frozen bananas.
Dash of vanilla (optional)
Optional sweetener if desired: a date or two

Blend until thick and smooth.

Serve immediately.