Cooking can be more than a necessity. It can be more than a hobby or an avocation. Cooking with love can be part of a spiritual practice, because cooking is one way to bring more love into the world.

There is something special about donning an apron, putting on flowing music, clearing the sink and counters, gathering ingredients from pantry and refrigerator, and setting the scene. It starts to bring you into focus.

Then the food preparation and cooking presents a banquet for the senses, all the colors and shapes, the smells and textures. A crisp bite of juicy red pepper, the fresh, green smell of garden kale that wafts upward as you slice it for salad, the deep flavors and aromas of chocolate, vanilla and almond, all vying for attention demanding that you focus upon them. It is a sensual experience that can narrow your scattered thoughts, pulling your attention away from worries over past or future and bringing you to a place of serenity and flow.

And it doesn't have to be cooking. I believe anything done with love is a spiritual practice. Just imagine spending an entire day flowing from one activity to another, each one a spiritual practice of gentle focus and attention, channeling more and more love into the world. It is my aspiration.

​For today, however, I think I’ll start in the kitchen. Those juicy, red raspberries are calling me.


Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash 

“What if we were to remind you that no one has a flaw?  What if we were to remind you that you are the spark of the Divine? What if we were to remind you that there are certain personality flaws that you chose to bring forth to work off your karma?  Therefore, you are in your truth, there is no flaw there. Whatever flaws you brought in with you were part of the lessons. It is kind of like using tools, using five or ten pound weights to help you get stronger. How does that shift the picture realizing those flaws are not flaws at all?  They are only tools.”
-Red Feather
 
We, Light workers, that’s you Dear Reader and me, are teachers. We came here to teach what we’ve learned from our own lives. This gives us meaning and purpose for the struggles of our lives. We can be of service in this way, through the experience of our own lives.

This understanding gives purpose for my personal inner conflict between wanting to be accepted and the desire to be my own person. I grew up with a feeling of lack of self-worth, a fear of not being enough, self-criticism and judgment, generalized anxiety, a fear of abandonment, a fear of life really, all of it pushing me, forcing me to find a place of balance and inner peace.

When I was younger my deepest prayer was for inner peace, refuge from the constant inner battle of my thoughts and emotions. Gradually, through pursuit of self-development and healing I found the tools that taught me to allow inner peace. That doesn’t mean I am always peaceful within. It means that I have the tools to return to inner peace when life throws me a curve ball. That then is what I have to teach and offer to others.

What have you learned on your path of inner healing?

Let’s take a new perspective on all of the perceived flaws that we came in with, those parts of ourselves that we reject as not good enough, not fitting into society, making us unlovable or unacceptable, our shadow selves.  What if as teachers we came in to live what we chose to teach so that we might serve in this way?

Imagine hundreds of thousands of teachers coming in to teach love, acceptance, forgiveness, in all of its myriad possibilities for expression. Hundreds of thousands of teachers, hundreds of thousands of individual approaches to learning about love throughout the world. The scope is mind-boggling and world changing as we each kindle the light within ourselves and then offer it to others.
 

Photo by C MA on Unsplash 

“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
Thích Nhat Hanh
 
In choosing people to feature in our Love in Action series I look for those who inspire me with the love and joy they feel for what they do. Ntathu Allen is one such. I feel inspired both by the content of what she shares on her blog, and by the palpable love with which she writes.

Ntathu Allen describes herself as a yoga teacher, mother, writer, healer and humanitarian. 

Her website is filled with useful tools, videos and writings with an emphasis on stress management and self-acceptance, all presented with loving compassion.
After reading her most recent newsletter I felt uplifted and inspired to share the tools she offers with you, Dear Reader. It will give you a taste of the love with which she writes as well as three, useful spiritual tools with which you can start your day.

So without further ado, here is Ntathu Allen from her blog, Yoga Inspires.

“What can you do to strengthen your “compassionate and happy” button and ‘live fully in each moment?’"

Life has taught me that when we do feel happy, connected and in the flow, it is easy to experience happiness and from that state, it is easier to be compassionate, loving and live fully.

What can we do to maintain this state of being and live in the moment?

My Solution…Develop an Early Morning Routine.

From personal experience, my daily morning spiritual practice is probably the only time in my day when I am fully present, 1000000% engaged, living in the now and feeling total compassion and love for all.

I treasure my alone time in the morning.

During the day, when I feel myself slipping away from this vibration I consciously pause, take a moment to calm my thoughts, refocus and remember the vibe I felt in the morning.

Once I’ve re-calibrated and reminded myself to be present and compassionate, my energy shifts, tension is lifted from my body and I can resume my daily activities and work from a more mindful perspective.

Here are 3 of the daily spiritual practices to help you wake up, thankful and ready to start the day on a positive, purposeful and happy note. They are 3 daily habits I do to get a better start to my day.

1. Give Thanks When You Wake Up
One of the first things you can do when you wake up to start your day in a more compassionate way is to say a quiet prayer of thanks for waking up and being alive.
You don’t have to be religious to pray, all you need is a desire for inner peace, to be a better person and to give your best to all you meet.
For example, depending on how I feel, I have a collection of prayers I like to use, sometimes I’ll say The Lord’s Prayer, other times, The Prayer of Jabez , The Message by Sri Babaji, is another favourite prayer I like to say, A Call For Guidance taken from Opening to Spirit by Shola Arewa is my much-loved daily prayer.
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2. Breathe
After saying my daily prayer, I’ll do a few rounds of deep yogic breathing. This always helps to calm and steady my mind and puts me in a meditative frame of mind, ready to get up and do my meditations.
A simple breathing practice you can do is to place one hand on your navel and the other hand on your chest and just focus on breathing softly and deeply in through your nose for a count of 5 and to breathe out, through your nose for a count of 5.
So that’s inhale 1…. 2….3….4….5 and then exhale 1….2….3….4….5. Do this for 3 – 5 cycles and you’ll feel instantly energized and happy.

3. Keep a Daily Journal
Writing your waking thoughts, dreams and aspirations in your journal is another spiritual practice which helps to ground your energy and prepares you to be more compassionate and mindful during the day.
Sometimes, as part of my daily journaling practice, I will write down the things I am grateful for in my life, other times I’ll hold my pen in my non-dominant hand, focus on my breath and just write whatever comes to mind for ten minutes. It's bit a like doing a mind-sweep or brain-dump. And once these thoughts are out on paper, I feel clearer!

Closing Thoughts
If you desire to be happier, feel more compassionate and connected with life, and wake up like Thich Nhat Hanh, “… I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion…,” saying a prayer, breathing and writing in your journal are three simple spiritual practices you can use which help to strengthen your desire to be happy, live life now in the present and to be compassionate with yourself and others.”

Check out Ntathu Allen’s website at https://yogainspires.co.uk/ for more of her inspirational writing, useful tools, videos and books.
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Thank you, Ntathu Allen for spreading the light and being Love in Action.  ​

"Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”
 Ramana Maharshi
 
The snow had been falling heavily all night. Waking at 6 am I took my tea to sit before the window. I looked out at the bird feeder that I had filled just yesterday, now covered with snow. My thoughts turned inward even as my eyes remained watching the snow sifting down upon the feeder.
 
How, I wondered, can I continue to pursue my individual quest for spiritual development, benefiting only myself, when I want to be of service in this world?  As always, my questions became prayers and I asked God.
 
The snow blew past the window, a beautiful, wintry scene. A small gray and white junco landed on the feeder. I was surprised to see him there, they are naturally ground feeders. He hopped about, then chose one spot and scratched the snow away, revealing the seeds underneath. He scratched and the snow flew off.  He ate.  He sat for a long while undisturbed and fed.

​Deep in my ponderings I took note of his activities with mild interest. He flew off, leaving the safety of the feeder. Shortly after he left, a chickadee flew in, grabbed a seed from the hole the junco had dug, and flew off. Then, another chickadee did the same. A tufted titmouse followed suit, taking one seed and flying to a nearby branch to eat it. Then a white-breasted nuthatch flew to the edge of the feeder, hung upside down for a moment, clambered over the edge, took a seed and flew off. The birds kept coming, one at a time, each taking a seed from the space cleared by the junco.
 
How interesting, I thought, just by doing his own thing, the junco has provided a service for others. The lights went on inside with a feeling of excitement. The junco knew instinctively how to dig for his food, as he did so he cleared the way for the others.
 
We too can dig deep, opening to Spirit, and thereby make the nourishment of Spirit accessible to others. We too, in doing what our hearts need and love to do can be of service. 

Photo credit Lisa de Leon 

“My prayer is, ‘Please, Lord, let me be a part of what You want to bless. May my life be a blessing to all I come in contact with, and may Your Spirit guide my every word.”
-Ralph Goldsmith, Mule Dynasty
 
Yesterday, we took a covered-wagon tour run by owner/operator Ralph Goldsmith.  He directs his mule team amidst the traffic, pulling a long, covered-wagon filled with historically curious tourists, throughout downtown Independence, Missouri. All the while regaling us with tales of the pioneer families heading West, the Civil War battlefield that was Independence, and the colorful historical figures that peopled that time.  

Intrigued by his occasional references to God’s hand in his personal life, I purchased and read his autobiography at the end of the tour.

The main message of the book is of how he grew up with severe dyslexia amidst those who did not understand what he was coping with. Fortunately, he was raised by those with a deep belief in a loving God. Despite his handicap or because of it, as an adult he finally came to trust God, do what he loves, and prosper.  

The love comes through in the tour as he energetically takes on the emotional tones of both Southern and Northern sympathies, telling the story of the Civil War in that area from the perspectives of those who were there.

Intertwined with this is the history of how mules supported the expansion of the United States. His own mules are healthy, well-treated and cared for, knowing their route well. He handles the team expertly, even managing to direct the mules to reverse park the enormous covered-wagon as seemingly easily as he might have his own car. It was a treat to watch.

Ralph Goldsmith and his covered wagon tours are love in action. 
 
“When God’s still voice speaks to you, act. Learn to hear His voice, and step out in faith.”
-Ralph Goldsmith, Mule Dynasty

For more information about Ralph Goldsmith and Pioneer Trails Adventures visit his website at https://www.pioneertrailsadventures.com/
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“Every morning when I wake up, I read a little spiritual passage, I keep them next to my bed. I just pick one up and start the day reading a little quote or something like that, and it starts me remembering what the game is about, it reminds me.”
Ram Dass  

Most of us have some sort of daily home maintenance routine. Washing the dishes, doing the laundry, preparing food, that sort of thing. Most of us have some sort of daily personal care routine, whatever that may be for the individual. These routines allow us to function in our lives with an environment that supports us.

But how many of us have spiritual care routines?

These are short, daily practices that support us to be in alignment with our spirits, reminding us of what’s important.

Maybe like me, you do have spiritual practices that you use only sporadically when you remember them. Or perhaps, also like me, you start a spiritual practice only to forget about it when things get busy.

This time, let’s decide to serve ourselves with simple, daily spiritual practices, so easy that we have to go out of our way to avoid them!

Let's choose practices we enjoy and make a commitment to serve ourselves in this way. As we do so we fill ourselves giving us what we need to be available to serve others. 


Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash

"You will find that when you start your day by serving you, it will not be challenging to serve others."
-Red Feather

For many, caring for others comes first, often at the expense of caring for ourselves. Over time this leads to exhaustion, overwhelm and resentment on the part of the caregiver.

Most of us have been there at one time or another. It just seems easiest to respond to the loudest demand and then the next and the next after that, rather than making the effort to balance with time for nurturing ourselves. We think we can make time for ourselves later. Yet somehow later doesn’t happen because later is filled with meeting other’s needs too.
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What is the solution here? We can only feed others for so long if we do not also feed ourselves. Giving yourself permission to serve yourself is not selfish, it is essential.

Aircraft safety instructions recommend first putting the oxygen mask on yourself in the event of depressurization of the cockpit if you are traveling with young children. Why is this? It is so that you can be conscious enough to then put the mask on your children.

​As a caregiver making sure to take care of yourself makes it possible for you to continue to care for others. The same is true with any demanding life situation. It is essential to care lovingly for yourself first so that you may serve with love.  


Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplash