Whole Living Today

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Dr. Howard Thurman

History, Recipe, Health Benefits 

Close your eyes. Relax. Imagine yourself in a far away, exotic land. Listen to the soft music blowing in the breeze. Smell the fragrance of spices and … no wait, those aromas aren’t from some foreign village; you’re at the local café. They’re radiating from a cup of chai on the table next to you. Chai (rhymes with “sky”) is one of the newest “hot” beverages in the U.S. The word chai means tea in the Middle East, Eastern Asia, and as a Swahili word for tea in Eastern Africa. What we are calling chai in the U.S. is marsala chai - spiced tea. Chai can actually be traced back over 5000 years to the Hindu natural healing system called “ayurveda” as a combination of spices, herbs and teas used for their health benefits as a digestive aid. Although the spices used and method of preparation vary from region to region, chai imparts a warming, soothing effect, acts as a natural digestive aid and promotes a sense of well being.

The spices and herbs used all add their own health benefits to the combination. Tea leaves provide antioxidants which are known to fight cancer-causing cells, lower cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Cloves invigorate and help generate heat in the body, making them useful during the cold and flu season. Ginger is known to strengthen and heal the digestive and respiratory systems, fight off colds and flu, remove congestion, sooths sore throats, and relieves body aches. Cinnamon acts as a stimulant to the other herbs and spices enabling them to work faster. Black pepper adds warmth to the body. Cardamom stimulates the mind and gives clarity. Fennel seed calms the digestive system. Nutmeg adds a rich flavor to the blend. Other spices include carob, vanilla and licorice; although not in the traditional recipes.

Chai is an everyday beverage for Indian and other Asian households. It is sold wherever people gather, such as trains, bus stations and marketplaces. The chai vendors (wallahs) brew their tea in huge kettles over small charcoal fires. The chai is served in unglazed terra cotta pots or saucers called “kullarhs” which the wallah may have actually made himself over an open fire. The unglazed pots impart an earthy flavor to the chai. Part of this “chai ritual” involves smashing the pots after drinking. Chai is always safe to drink in these countries because the tea is always kept hot and the serving pots are only used once.

Chai has been served in the U.S. since the 1940’s in Indian restaurants. During the 1960’s and 70’s chai drinking became more widespread as the interest in Eastern religions and yoga developed and ashrams (spiritual meeting places) appeared throughout the country. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that chai was served in cafes; first in Santa Cruz, then Boulder, and on to Portland Oregon. Today chai can be found just about everywhere but it’s not the same. Chances are you will not find a traditionally brewed chai but rather one made from a prepackaged concentrated liquid or from an instant powder. Brewing your own chai is an experience not to be missed although it may take a few tries to find that “just right” flavor. It allows you to tailor the blend to your preference or mood, to sweeten or not, to use soy-based milk, or use a different base tea such as green or rooibus (a caffeine-free herbal tea); plus you know it’s fresh.

The techniques of preparation and proportions of spices, tea, sweetener and milk vary from region to region and even among families. The family chai recipe is handed down through the generations as a family tradition. Some boil the tea, spices and milk; some never boil. Boiling verses adding the milk and spices to hot tea produces a different taste and character to the finished chai. A few points are always agreed on; cardamom is necessary, if using ginger, use freshly grated, the chai needs to be sweetened to bring out the full flavor of the spices, and it’s best to grind your own fresh spices.

Here’s a simple recipe to start the inspiration.

2 cups water
2 cardamom pods or about 1/8 teaspoon seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
2 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons loose, black tea
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
1 tablespoon peeled and sliced fresh ginger

Crush the spices with a mortar and pestle or other method. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a stainless steel or nonstick saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tea and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and honey. When back to a simmer, add the ginger. After one minute strain the tea into cups.

With the evenings starting to cool off, start experimenting (write it down!). Close your eyes, relax, and let the exotic flavors of chai take you away to some foreign land; though you might not want to smash your cup when it’s empty.

“To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk being called sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk being called naive. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he’s forfeited his freedom. Only the person who risks is truly free.”  ~Leo Buscaglia

Selected Books by Leo Buscaglia

Love: What Life Is All About

Living Loving and Learning

Personhood: The Art of Being Fully Human

Stress has become a major factor in all of our lives. If not handled properly, stress throws our bodies out of balance and into a state of dis-ease - not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. Much of our stress is due to worrying about “what if’s”. Guess what? These “what if’s” may never happen. An interesting concept, definitely not new but underutilized, is “living for the moment”. By living in the present, really paying attention to life, other thoughts (worries, stresses …) can’t co-exist. Reducing stress levels has enormous benefits such as increased health and vitality, calmness, improved concentration, restful sleep and happiness. Living in the present has many more.

Staying focused in the present takes a little practice but once learned, it’s a simple way to reduce your stress and add a new dimension to your life, even if only for the moment. An easy way to get started is by paying attention to your breath - this is also referred to as ‘conscious breathing’. Take a few minutes to try this: get comfortable, close your eyes, as you breathe in feel the air being pulled in and filling your lungs, and as you exhale feel the air leaving your lungs and passing through your nose. As your mind wanders to other thoughts, keep bringing yourself back to the present, to your breath. A variation to this method is to silently say something to yourself as you breath in and out - such as relax/release or even breathe in/breathe out. This will help you stay focused. Breathing like this is a simple tool that can be used anywhere and will instantly reduce your stress level, heart rate and blood pressure.

Adding passion and sensuality to your life will also keep you focused in the present and living will become so much more pleasurable and rewarding. Most people think of this purely in a sexual context but by definition, this is not true. Passion can be defined as “any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling” and sensual as “of or pertaining to the senses or physical sensation”. We might as well add in intimacy also - “of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the inmost or essential nature; intrinsic”. Our lives have become so busy and we so preoccupied, that we have lost touch with these precious gifts of living. Imagine if you lived your life passionately, sensually and intimately - stress wouldn’t dare enter into the picture.

Our spiritual nature craves sensuality, passion and intimacy and these are only realized by living in the present. Developing a passion for life is very rewarding and really changes your outlook. Recognizing and developing sensuality in all you do definitely keeps you in the present and is the easiest way to add passion and intimacy into your life. The senses include touch, taste, sight, smell and sound. So, how do you develop sensuality? Stay present in the moment and pay attention to your senses. Start by really tasting your food. Is it sweet, sour, bitter…? What does it smell like? What does it feel like in your mouth - dry, juicy? Is it pleasing to look at? Savor your meal, eat slowly. Enjoying your meal like this will prevent overeating as well as providing the proper digestion … and your daily stresses won’t be present at dinner. We can easily stretch this theme to include the preparation and presentation. Pay attention to details - cut your carrots all the same thickness, notice the different textures of the foods … Did you remember the candles and relaxing dinner music? Now for the dishes and cleanup.

Being present at work can be a little more challenging but still within reach. Breathing works well in the work environment. Believe it or not, you can be sensual (not sexual) at work. Arrange your desk so it pleases your senses. Take a walk at lunch. Stay present and focused. Pay attention in meetings. Do your best at what you do (without an attitude) - self-gratification is wonderful and recognition will come if that’s what you desire.

Just imagine how applying these simple ideas may transform a relationship. Stay in the present. Listen to what your partner is saying and feeling. Do you know what it feels like to hold “their” hand — or could it be any hand? Don’t you dare let thoughts of work or anything else distract you. We won’t go any deeper in this article.

Enjoy life! And as the Reggie song goes … “Don’t worry, be happy!”

Living in harmony with the seasons

Observing and living in rhythm with nature can be beneficial to our health and well-being. Living in harmony with nature is not a new idea, it is one of the foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) and was also the basis for health before society became too busy and stressed to feel the rhythms of their bodies. Fighting or not listening to our rhythms throws us out of balance into a state of dis-ease.

By observing the changes that take place during the winter season, maybe we can attune ourselves to a healthier winter. Leaves have fallen off the trees providing nutrients for the soil, plants pull their sap and nutrients back into their roots, days are shorter, life slows down, some animals hibernate, nature withdraws into itself, the earth rests. Winter is a time of regeneration.

Winter should be a time of personal growth, a time to go within, a restful break, a time to replenish energy for the start of the “growing” season – Spring. The cold and dampness, a hint to stay home where it is warm and comfortable.

The shorter days that winter provide should be used as an opportunity to get more rest, sleep and dreams. Personal growth requires a lot of quiet time and solitude. Solitude is always an interesting period in our lives. It can be a time of independence, loneliness or a time of reflection and growth – the choice is ours. Winter is the time to go within. Time spent alone has the ability to open creativity. It allows us to become our real selves, true to ourselves. A time to explore who we really are; our strengths and weaknesses. We are all complete as we are but we don’t usually realize it. No one can provide true happiness for another person; that is dependency. True joy and happiness comes from within when we take the time to be ourselves, to discover who we are.

If we use this quiet time to reflect on the past, but not cling to it, we are able to see where we were and where we may be heading. We realize how we’ve changed, what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown by past experiences. The biggest steps in our development are created by the hardest lessons of the past. Recognizing difficult times as just that allows us to release and forgive, to move on. Obstacles along our path provide a stopping point, a time to slow down and reflect. We are all give the strength to remove or move around the obstacle. The past should shape our future, our present, not take away our potential.

Winter is a time to maintain our exercise routines but maybe switch them into a gentler direction, more in tune with the body, such as stretching, yoga, dance, walking, or some of the martial arts. Bodywork such as massage is beneficial to release stored tensions and relax.

Another not so gentle hint that nature provides for our wellness is food. Learning to change our diet to match what is available according to nature is a giant step towards maintaining health. Foods that provide more energy and heat are necessary during the cold months of winter. Isn’t it amazing that our freshest vegetables during this season are the root crops that provide more carbohydrates, fiber and proteins; creating warmth to the body and regulating digestion when we don’t have the same activity levels? So, listen to nature, add potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, beets, squash and garlic to your meals. Grains, beans and nuts are also fresh during this season, a good source of fiber, protein and essential fats. Have you noticed that squirrels collect nuts for the winter?

Herbs and spices should also be added to the diet. Warming herbs include ginger, garlic, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, turmeric, cayenne, and cardamom seed. Enjoy them added to soups or other recipes – you’ll be surprised how they can change the ordinary into something soothing and satisfying. If you don’t feel too daring, add a little cinnamon to your chicken breasts next time. Garlic is great for the immune system. Feeling cold and can’t get warm? Try a ginger tea or add some of the other warming spices, they increase circulation and most improve digestion after a meal.

Listen to nature, listen to yourself, feel your rhythm.