Nature is a one stop shop! Its offerings give us sustenance, healing, and solace. Now we can add energy and inner uplift to the list! Yogi Bhajan said that, "Any food you eat, which grows in the ground, will give you grit. Foods from the ground to three feet, will give you health and vitality (physical strength, and physical nourishment). Food which grows three feet to eleven feet from the earth will give you deep nourishment. Foods above eleven feet, instant energy. Here are some of the "secret" remedies from the Kundalini Yoga world. Certain foods have not only health benefits they have energetic as well. Some of these may already be in your kitchen, others you may need to track down or simply have fun reading about them!
1. Banyan Tree Sap - Buddha was sitting beneath a banyan tree when he achieved his enlightenment. Banyan trees are huge trees which grow in Asia. Their spongy wood is filled with sweet sticky milky sap somewhat like honey. This easily extracted sap is a general tonic remedy for nerve strength and overall health. Its also valued as a prostate remedy. Use about a teaspoon per day, especially combined with yogurt.
2. Black Garbanzos - Black Garbanzos or "Kala Chana" are a cousin of the familiar Garbanzo Beans we have in the west. Smaller and dark brown, the Black Garbanzo bean is prized for giving strength. The beans grow at high altitude in Northern India, and, during the rainy season, lightning plays over the fields so much, people dare not go near. this is said to charge this food with tremendous amounts of prana. According to Yogi Bhajan, Black Garbanzos are very good for the nervous system, and help to control the electromagnetic field of the body. They are the most powerfully energizing food in the world, and they are very good for health. Yogi Bhajan commented that, by eating these beans, you can, "Walk through walls."
3. The Holy Trinity (Onions, Garlic, Ginger) - In many yogic traditions the use of these spices is proscribed because they are said to, 'Fire up the passions.' But in true tantric fashion the Kundalini Yoga tradition embraces these foods because through our Kundalini Yoga practice we have a way of transmuting their fiery energies (our passionate natures) into Creativity and Spirit! Onions purify the blood. Garlic is anti-fungal, purifying, and anti radiation. Ginger is great for circulation, digestion, and strong nerves.
4. Pineapple - According to Yogi Bhajan, fresh pineapple, or pineapple juice, stimulates the Third Eye to activate. Eyes one and two also benefit from pineapple, which is notable in preventing macular degeneration. Pineapples also contain bromelain, an important enzyme which helps to break down protein, and ease digestion and inflammation in the body. Pineapple is also a kidney cleanser. In Eastern medicine the kidneys are considered to be one of the main strorehouses of energy in the body.
5. Saffron - Yogi Bhajan said that the spice saffron yields exponential energy. He said that even just a tiny bit is atomic! For thousands of years the power of saffron has been an open secret among the yogis and holy people of India. Saffron is often used as an ingredient in tea in Northern India and Nepal because of its ability to insulate the body against cold.
Saffron as a herb has been used in skin care as a deep healer and moisturizer.
The yogis tell us that saffron's energy field is constantly replenishing and merging its polarities. This represents perfect balance through every dimension of being.
Saffron gives whatever it's cooked with a golden glow. The spice is so much a part of the psyche of India that when it came time to choose a set of national colors, Saffron or 'Kesar' was the first choice. Saffron stands for Truth, the eternal variety with a capital "T."
6. Diamond Dust - Yogi Bhajan said that, "It will make a dead man alive." Auryveda recommends that we take it in any season except summer. Before age 35 it is recommended to be taken 20-30 days. After age 35 take it daily with honey and a glass of milk. Diamond dust is a Auryvedic (the ancient Indian healing system) remedy made from real diamond dust. Please consult a qualified Auryvedic practitioner for the proper guidelines regarding this potent mixture.
7. Pistachios - Pistachios are technically a fruit! The outer shell is removed and what we actually eat is a kernel. Pistachios contain fewer calories than other nuts. But, wow do they pack a nutrient punch! They are a great source of antioxidants as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid. Pistachios are high in E and B vitamins as well as phosphorus and magnesium. For all these reasons and more, pistachios are a longevity food which stimulates the glands and creates perfect balance in the body.
Green Goddess Pistachio Mint Shake (serves 2)
Here is our favorite way to indulge our sweet tooth (in the healthiest way) and get an energy boost, while nourishing our cells at a deep level. Mint has its own special health benefits from easing digestion to helping to be a "Kunda-leanie," by through its ability to break down fat. It also has a cleansing effect on body and breath! :)
1/2 cup raw organic (unsalted & shelled) pistachios
9-11 fresh mint leaves
water as needed (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
2 ripe frozen bananas
3-4 dates
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of himalayan sea salt
ice (add ice last and enough to make your shake as thick and frosty as you like it. We add almost a whole tray)
Blend the pistachios and water until smooth. Add the frozen bananas (we usually dice them first), dates, and mint leaves, vanilla and sea salt. Garnish with a mint leaf if you like to admire your creations. :) Enjoy!
8. Gold Leaf - The earliest records of the use of gold for medicinal and healing purposes come from Alexandria, Egypt. Over 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians ingested gold for mental, bodily and spiritual purification. The ancients believed that gold in the body worked by stimulating the life force and raising the level of vibration on all levels. The Alchemists of Alexandria developed an "elixir" made of liquid gold. They believed that gold was a mystical metal that represented the perfection of matter, and that its presence in the body would enliven, rejuvenate, and cure a multitude of diseases as well as restore youth and perfect health. In medieval Europe, gold-coated pills and "gold waters" were extremely popular. Alchemists mixed powdered gold into drinks to "comfort sore limbs," which is one of the earliest references to arthritis.
During the Renaissance, Paracelsus, who is considered the founder of modern pharmacology, developed many successful medicines from metallic minerals including gold. In the 1900s, surgeons would often implant a gold piece under the skin near an inflamed joint, such as a knee or elbow. As a result, the pain would often subside or cease altogether.
In China, the restorative properties of gold are still honored in rural villages, where peasants cook their rice with a gold coin to replenish the mineral in their bodies, and fancy Chinese restaurants put 24-karat gold-leaf in their food preparations to turn any everyday Chinese dish into superfood.
Yogi Bhajan said that gold leaf is a powerful tonic for the nervous system and energetic anatomy.
9. Celery Juice - One of the most alkanalizing foods available. An alkaline body is a yoga body. Think flexibility, bright eyes, glowing skin! Celery Juice contains important concentrations of plant hormones and the very special essential oils that give celery its characteristic smell. These oils help to regulate the nervous system, and are very calming.
10. Romaine Lettuce - Lowly romaine, whom everyone sort of takes for granted, is actually a superfood! Beautiful green
chlorophyll helps us to live in the light! It may be that our evolutionary trend is towards being breath and lightarians! In a Spiritual sense we are like plants growing towards the light. Yogi Bhajan said that romaine juice is like a positive form of opium. It has an alkalizing effect on the body and helps to de-calcify the pineal gland. The rest is history and the answer to every mystery!
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