Costa Rican Breakfast Burrito

I just got back from a ridiculously fun trip to Costa Rica. And it was fun for many reasons. For one, Anthony, my partner and I have been wanting to go on holiday there for a long time and two, I’ve been wanting to check it out to run a retreat there. It’s been on the radar for a few reasons, not least for its reputation for having pristine nature, eco travel and great beaches. One of the things we really loved about this little beach town we found at the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica was the food. Literally every restaurant we ate at had the very best most delicious food. It was clean and nutritious with plenty of options for our healthy plant based lifestyle. I figured that before I forget what was in this burrito that we found at a little restaurant called Earth Cafe in Santa Teresa, I’d better make it. I also promised all of you in an instagram post, plus the boyfriend was pushing for it. He went out and got us some vegetable un-wraps (instead of tortilla) and some fresh avocado. For the rest, these are easy ingredients to be found in your normal day to day life. Nothing more fun than making breakfast burritos on a Sunday morning with your beloved after a beautiful and successful trip. 

Costa Rican Breakfast Burrito Recipe

I used short grain brown rice because it has a high nutritional value and has a beautiful nutty taste.. A typical breakfast in Costa Rica will consist of eggs and gallo pinto which is a rice and bean dish. See Jamie Oliver’s version. The vegetable wrap that my Anthony bought at the local supermarket (Spar) was so perfect because it was light and didn’t contain any nasties. But you can decide, a tortilla or a coconut wrap would work too.

4 x Vegetable un-wraps (or tortillas)

1/2 Cup short grain brown rice

4 x Tbs basil pesto

12 x Cherry tomatoes - pan roasted

1/2 Punnet portobello mushrooms chopped

1 x Red pepper - oven roasted and sliced

1 x Medium avocado - smashed

3 x Large eggs (scrambled smoked tofu with a little turmeric if you are vegan)

4 x leaves of lettuce

Splash of plant based milk

Tamari - to taste

Blob of butter (coconut oil for vegans)

(makes 4 burritos)

Method

While Anthony went out to get the wraps, I put the rice on the stove to cook and made fresh basil. The basil in the garden had gone to seed while we were away so I decided to use it all up. It’s an easy recipe, fresh basil, a little garlic, sunflower seeds, pecorino cheese, olive oil and salt in a food processor (for vegans you could use nutritional yeast instead of cheese). I also decided to quickly make a fresh batch of almond butter since I was turning the oven on to roast the red pepper anyway. I am good like this, I try to maximise my time in the kitchen so that I have time to make everything from scratch. The almond milk was made yesterday.

Roast the red pepper in the oven for about 20 - 30 minutes on 180. Chop the mushrooms and fry in some of the butter. When the mushrooms are brown, add a splash of tamari, cook for about five minutes and set aside. (This is my secret for great mushrooms every time). Then, pan roast the tomatoes for about five minutes also and set aside. Scramble the eggs with a little plant milk and a bit of salt in the remaining butter. If you are vegan, you can scramble tofu in coconut oil.

Next, heat your tortilla or veggie un-wrap for ten seconds in a hot pan and place the rice, mushrooms, roast cherry tomatoes, roast red pepper, avocado, scrambled egg and lettuce leaf in your wrap. Wrap it up and devour.

It’s really as simple as that.

Suzuki doing quality control

We tucked in right away and were very happy with the taste which was exactly the same taste we had in Costa Rica. The ingredients can also be prepared ahead of time and given to kids for dinner.

Bon Apetit!

How to prepare for your trip to India

Be prepared!

India is one of the most exciting travel destinations in the world and many people want to travel there but feel daunted by the stories of poverty and illness and dirt. While India is changing there are a few fundamental preparations you can do to make your trip just so magical. Be prepared by getting yourself into the right mindset before you go and you will never forget the things you experience there. Knowing a few India travel essentials before hitting the ground will help you adjust more quickly.

Although India can be a challenging place to travel for the uninitiated, fortunately, the reward is well worth the time it takes to adjust to such a vastly busy, exciting place!

India is one of the world's largest, most populated, and most culturally diverse countries, and one that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Preparing for a trip to India involves planning your itinerary and making sure that you have your necessary documents in place. In addition, you'll need to know what to pack, what form of currency to bring, and what precautions you can take in order to travel safely. Here are some basic steps and some more specific tips from us who have been to India many times – and loved it more each time.

• Planning: Your itinerary for the retreat is planned and you will be in the best hands. If you would like to explore parts of India and spend a few days travelling in order to enjoy its beauty and varied cultures, note that its infrastructure isn't of the best quality in all regions, so you should always plan your added itinerary before you leave. Make sure you reserve any flights ahead of time. You can easily taxi around between airports and hotels.

• Apply for your travel documents. You'll need a valid passport to travel, as well as a valid tourist visa for India. Visas to India can be obtained in two ways:

  • eVisa - by far the easiest and quickest method.  Many countries are eligible to use India's e-Tourist Visa facility. As the name suggests, it may only be used if you are applying for a tourist visa, a "casual business visit" or a "short-duration medical procedure". You'll require return tickets, and to have sufficient funds to support you during your stay in India. Your passport should have at least 2 blank pages in it and be valid for at least 6 months after your date of arrival in India. https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html or

  • VFS Global - alternatively, if you don't want to use the online e-Tourist visa, or if you can't because it doesn't cater for your requirements, then you can do it the old fashioned way by applying through VFS Global. https://www.vfsglobal.com/en/individuals/index.html India outsources the administration of its visa application service to VFS Global, to whom all documentation must be submitted. Note that VFS Visa Processing only collects the information, and they then submit it to the Indian Mission, who then decide whether you are accepted or rejected.

• Make a packing list. Though what you need to bring with you will vary greatly depending on the types of activities you plan to do and the areas you plan to visit in addition to the retreat, you should always bring enough clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent, a sunhat, a first aid kit, and a money belt. Of course, you can buy beautiful appropriate clothes, skirts and scarves at bargain prices on all the Indian markets and some stylish boutiques as well.

• Prepare your finances. Though India is very affordable by Western standards, you should also realise that you'll need some cash, as many places don't accept credit cards. Get rupees as soon as you land in India.

• While we will look after you while you are at the retreat and on outings with us, do educate yourself about food and drinking safety. The rule of thumb in India is to only drink bottled water, avoid uncooked foods and beverages with ice in them.

• Go to the Incredible India website, it has many useful tips, including an extensive calendar of festivals and information about local customs, such as how to communicate successfully in India. For example, most rickshaw drivers and vendors expect you to haggle over prices, but you should also remember to tip.

What’s more, when you have arrived:

• The Indian Head Wobble

The quirky head wobble is fun but tricky to master for most Westerners. You'll encounter the all-purpose gesture all over India; it can mean "yes" or "OK," it is sometimes used as a greeting, and can be used to acknowledge what you are saying. Don't be surprised if your question is answered with a silent head wobble! Try to take your question into context to understand the meaning of the wobble.

• Learn the right way to pronounce "namaste" in India. (Nah-Man-stay)

• Squat Toilets in India

Although sit-down toilets can now be found in many guesthouses and restaurants, you'll still encounter plenty of these squat toilets in public places. Carrying toilet paper on outings is a very good idea.

• Wandering Cows

Cows are holy in Hindu culture because they give milk which represents the mother. There are a lot of cows wondering around all over India.

• Money

You'll find Western-networked ATMs in all urban and tourist areas around India. Avoid using remote ATMs at night when you may be followed while carrying a large amount of cash. When possible, horde your small change or enter odd amounts in the ATM to receive smaller denominations. Many places will have difficulty making change for 1,000-rupee notes. Oddly, a majority of the 500-rupee notes are written on; unlike other places in Asia that reject damaged or defaced currency even hard currency like dollars and euros, you shouldn't have too much trouble spending them.

• Power Outlets in India

Despite British influence, power outlets in India are of the round, two and three-pronged types (BS-546) used in Europe. Power is 230 volts at 50 Hz. Check the chargers and transformers for your electronic devices to ensure that they work in this range and won't produce fireworks. The power can sometimes be unreliable with surprise outages and surges, just like in South Africa.

• Tipping and Taxes

The prices displayed for items in shops should be inclusive of tax, however, that may not always be the case for restaurants and hotels. Nicer restaurants may itemize additional charges for VAT, service, and alcoholic drinks -- all at different rates. The service charge added in restaurants may go to pay the salary of the staff or just into the owner's pocket. If you want to ensure that your hard-working waiter is rewarded, you'll need to leave them a small tip in addition to what is already added to the bill.

• Time Difference in India

India has an interesting time difference: India Standard Time -- the massive country's only timezone -- is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT/UTC.

• Water in India – again, just because it is so important

Tap water is generally unsafe to drink in India. Even if the piped water is deemed safe by the government, the aged plumbing must also be taken into account. Avoid taking home parasites along with your other souvenirs: stick to drinking bottled water. Check the seals on bottled water before paying; an old scam in India, some bottles may be refilled with unsafe water and then resealed.

• What Is Ghee?

Ghee is a clarified butter made from cow's milk; it turns up nearly everywhere in India. Although ghee is high in fat, it is considered more healthy than oils or regular butter. Unless rejected by particular religious sects, ghee is used in dishes throughout India. If you are vegan or suffer from dairy allergies, you may want to learn how to ask for food without ghee. Interestingly, ghee is considered to be sacred and is used in blessings, as medicine, and to fuel lanterns.

• Hindu Gods

There are many, many Hindu gods and goddesses and it is a good idea to do a little bit of reading before you visit all these beautiful ancient sights and holy temples. It will make your outings so much more rewarding.

Ganesh, remover of obstacles. May your journey be free - flowing and fun and my Ganesh remove any obstacles from your path.

Have an incredible experience in India!

Emotional Release

We all have moments in our lives when we feel overwhelmed, extremely sensitive or suddenly bursting into tears because our emotions get the better of us and we just cannot help it. We have all had moments like this when we cry and cry and cry. Like when a sad movie triggers deepest hurts. We have all had moments when we exploded uncontrollably with rage because we’ve been bottling up our anger for so long that it just comes out. These experiences are part of the phenomenon known as Emotional Catharsis.

Emotional catharsis is an unconscious emotional reaction in which our suppressed emotions are displayed in all their rawness. It is often associated with situations where we’re feeling vulnerable or triggered.  Because it is such an intense expression of emotion there is a great possibility this might spoil our relationships and leave us feeling regret or remorse.

However, it is possible to release emotions consciously with awareness and in a safe and secure environment. Many people wonder whether this conscious catharsis is dangerous, but although it is often quite dramatic, the conscious process of releasing emotion is never dangerous. It’s actually very liberating as it takes us beyond the intellectual assessment of difficult situations we are in. Instead, we learn not to suppress our emotions as we release the turmoil that we are keeping hidden deep down inside us. Ultimately, it helps us to understand and express what we are truly feeling.

Transformational Retreats

On our Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreats we offer an holistic experience: cleansing of body and mind through detoxification with a juice fast, insights into the Ayurvedic lifestyle and nutrition, cleansing yogic techniques, body work and healing which will gently guide you towards accessing the deeper levels of transformation. Transformation is a life-long process, it is a journey from head to heart to being; from physical body to emotional body to spiritual well-being. Conscious emotional catharsis, eventually leads to connecting with one’s essence, with being human, with being simple and uncomplicated.

Many of us today whether we work in highly stressful jobs, or keep our families together, simply cannot relax because of unavoidable stress situations we experience through the day. We cannot buy relaxation. Difficult situations, stress and negativity are emotions that get bottled up over time. And if these emotions are suppressed, kept underground, if they are not opened up, they cause illnesses and emotional disturbances.

Even the most balanced and healthy people need to relax. All of us have shadows and light – this is natural and there is an art to learn how to deal with our shadows.

It’s a calling

Releasing these emotions, taking off layers of conditioning is not easy, however, people know when to listen to their inner voice, when the time has come to work on themselves, to dive deeper and come out lighter with renewed creativity and energy flow. It is a calling that you will hear in your heart of hearts.

Sabbatical for the mind

In the old days people went on pilgrimages to holy sites to find their inner self. Our retreats offer modern day arrangements with the best facilities and amazing results in a relatively short space of time.

Over six days we can achieve a lot together to open new pathways towards mindfulness and set you on a new path. Change is not easy, particularly a change which affects your mental, emotional and spiritual levels but by taking it step-by-step, we guide you on a journey to hear your own heart. In this way, we empower you to move forward in your own life.

Almond Nut Butter

Almond nut butter is probably the easiest thing that you will ever make in your kitchen. There is nothing to it. And there is no reason why you shouldn’t be making it yourself. Store bought almond nut butter is pricy and this is a way to keep the costs down especially if you use it as much as I do. It goes into all my smoothies, on fruit bowls and on oats. I even put it on crackers as a snack. It’s super nutritious too. Check out the numerous benefits of almond nuts.

If you, like me, love almonds and would like to grow your own tree, then check out happydiyhome who has laid out in detail exactly how to do that.

This really isn't a recipe because this recipe only has one ingredient. Raw almond nuts.

Almond Nut Butter Recipe

You will need 1kg of raw almond nuts because making any less just isn’t worth it (for me) but you can make as much as works for you, bearing in mind the size of your food processor and how many nuts you can process at one time. You will need a food processor. A blender does work but it makes the nut butter more chunky whereas your food processor will process it until it is smooth and shiny. Check out the magimix which is the kitchen goddess (or god) ultimate! You will need an oven for roasting.

Bake your nuts in the oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 20 minutes, turning your nuts every 5 minutes to make sure that they roast evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Ducati doing quality control.

Place in the food processor and process for at least 10 minutes. The amount of time will depend on how strong your processor is. You can add a pinch of salt if you wish.

Keep going. Sometimes you feel like it’s never going to happen, but be patient, it will. You can go play with your cat while you wait.

Ducati is taking a nap in the garden while we wait for the nut butter.

Still not ready.

Once it has a shine on it and is quite smooth, your nut butter is ready.

Pour into a jar and store for later. The nut butter will become quite warm in the processor so allow to cool before putting the lid on the jar. In my house, the nut butter gets attacked by the boyfriend, before its even cooled properly.

Self Love

Read part one: PHYSICAL SELF LOVE

Part two:

SELF LOVE

In our last blog, we discussed physical self love which includes eating whole foods, getting enough rest and relaxation, self care, taking care of our finances and creating a peaceful home in which to inhabit and give oneself space to breathe. In part two we are taking a look at mental, emotional and spiritual Self Love.

MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL SELF LOVE

It is way more difficult to quantify what spiritual self love is because we cannot see, hear, taste, smell or touch it. We can only experience it and it is through our healthy mental and emotional states that we can access our spiritual awareness and experience this spiritual love. Our innate being already loves itself but so often in our fast paced lives where we have little time to self reflect, we have lost touch with our own inner being.

Our mind and emotions are deeply connected to one another. So, just how do we love ourselves at the emotional and mental levels?

Meditation

Meditation is not only about sitting still and doing nothing while we quiet the mind. That is just one type of meditation and is a wonderful and useful practise. Sitting meditation can certainly bring us into a greater awareness of our deeper selves. It can help us to become calm and peaceful so that we react less and are able to move into the world from a more thoughtful space. Meditation is about awareness. But what are we becoming aware of? We are becoming aware of our own consciousness and connecting our consciousness to the universal stream of consciousness. We become connected to ourselves emotionally and mentally. Not only are we able to gauge where we are at emotionally but we are actually able to direct our feelings and emotions. Successfully loving ourselves comes down to total awareness of our thoughts and feelings. When we become aware of our thoughts and feelings, we are able to direct them into the direction that brings us most inner peace.

Inner peace is when we are living our lives deliberately. Living deliberately takes alignment with our inner being. Our inner being always holds our highest potential and brings with it inspiration to act in a self loving way. If we are at the mercy of our negative emotions, we are still creating our reality, but we are doing it unconsciously and our outer reality, our physical manifestations mirror our negative emotions.

Mental awareness

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves as human beings is to become aware of our thoughts. As soon as awareness arises in us, we begin to make the connection between our thoughts and our emotions. Our thoughts literally tell us what we are feeling and it is through our thoughts that we can change what we are feeling.

As human beings, we have already had the full spectrum of feelings. We know sadness, happiness, love, jealousy, loneliness, depression, fear, anger, shame, distrust and joy. And we know the subtle feelings in-between that we cannot name and and do not understand intellectually. We know when we are feeling something that we do not want to feel and because we know the full spectrum of feelings, we can call into feeling, any emotion that we want to feel. If we are depressed, then perhaps joy is not the first emotion we can call, perhaps a more appropriate feeling than depressed might be anger. Anger may bring relief as we realise that anger has a place in our emotional life. Anger draws boundaries when we feel abused, unloved or uncared for and even when we are lacking self love. We may blame others, but really we can no longer blame others for our own feelings. Once we have these boundaries in place we can begin simple self loving practices until we settle into a more peaceful place. We can practice physical self love. Then perhaps we can reach for a more positive feeling, one of trust where we not only begin to trust others again, but we begin truly trusting ourselves. We say no to emotions, activities and thoughts that do not serve us and we begin to love ourselves by choosing thoughts and feelings that we really want in our lives.

Manifestation

By the time manifestations appear in our lives, we have already been practicing the feelings and emotions that correspond to the reality that we have been experiencing for some time. We have developed beliefs around our habitual thoughts and feelings. We are likely unconscious that what we believe is how the world appears to us. We might have an unconscious or even conscious belief for example that “nobody loves me”, and then time and time again we prove to ourselves through our manifestations that we are unloveable. We may have a belief that making money is easy and the proof will be that we will always make money easily.

Radical Self Love

Radical self love means to pay attention to our thoughts, feelings and our natural ability to align with our inner being. It means that we are able to direct our lives into the lives of our dreams. Human beings are amazing, we can be, do and have anything we want. When we realise that the only thing that is stopping us from being and doing and having anything we want is our own beliefs, then we can begin to unravel our beliefs. Beliefs hold us back. They keep us stuck in a paradigm that does not necessarily work for us and as human beings we are able to to continuously introspect and question our beliefs. Truly loving ourselves brings us into alignment with our deepest truths and when we are aligned, we can experience true spiritual self love.

Self Love

Part one:

What is Self Love?

More and more people are waking up to this idea of self love. Since we are not one dimensional beings, we can look at the concept of self love on every level of our being. There are four obvious aspects that we can learn to love ourselves on. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Of course if we focus on one aspect, the other aspects have a greater chance of being called into balance. As the human race, we are awakening to our deeper selves and we are no longer having to give one aspect attention while we ignore other aspects. But what is self love?

Physical self love

Physical self love has to do with our physical body. Our health, our home and our finances. It’s about Self. It’s not just about taking ourselves off for a spa day although that is a really fun way in which we can practice loving ourselves, it’s about truly caring for our own wellbeing. When our bodies are healthy and whole, we are capable of enjoying and living our lives to the fullest. First and foremost physical self love is caring for our health. Without good health it is very difficult to care for anyone else.

Eat whole foods

Many people have asked on my retreats; What should I eat? This is the million dollar question but really it’s not about prescribing a one-size-fits-all diet for everyone because each of us are unique. Not just in our personality but literally in our physical make up. In Ayurveda the body is literally made up of the same stuff as the cosmos. Air, water, fire, earth and ether or space. The universe is made up of an interplay between these elements and each of us has a slightly different interplay between these elements. This is how an Ayurvedic doctor can diagnose your dosha or body type. For an idea of what your body type is take a look at Life Spa’s dosha test.

The answer to the great question is very simple. Eat a simple diet of fresh whole foods. Food that grows. A variety of fruits and vegetables. Of course if you have an imbalance in your body that is causing you to feel unwell, then the best approach is to first rebalance your body by, taking yourself off on a retreat like our Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreat and possibly seeking health advice from a naturopath like Hester Ladewig from Embrace Life or a doctor of integrative medicine. The important part of looking after your health is to eat healthy foods. This seems so obvious, yet we are in a world where it is very easy to satisfy cravings for processed foods. A diet of mainly processed foods is the natural enemy of our body as we literally starve it of nutrients. I have an 80/20 rule. That means that 80% of the time, I eat food that comes out of my own kitchen and 20% of the time I allow myself to enjoy social eating. In Cape Town we are lucky because there are several good eateries where I can get wholesome nutrient dense foods.

Get enough rest and relaxation

This seems like such an obvious way of loving oneself but so many people just don’t allow themselves to take the rest that they need. Work stress, family and social demands cause us to forget to stop and rest. Without proper rest, it doesn’t really matter if we get proper food into our bodies or not as we are unable to integrate the nutrient intake into our bodies as well as not being able to integrate life. We find that we are running from one place to another place just to get stuff done but really this has to change.

It’s ok to take time for yourself to sleep or daydream. I spend a lot of time on my sofa with my two cats just doing nothing. I realised a while back that trying to meet imagined demands of society was destroying me and giving myself time to stop and do nothing has served me well in the long run. It has allowed me time to rejuvenate after running each retreat, to introspect, contemplate and integrate life’s lessons. I don’t even do it with intentions these days, I just do it because it brings me back into alignment with myself. Everything comes out that space. Every project, every dream.

Self care

Besides the obvious manicures, pedicure and visits to the hairdresser there are a lot of ways that we can physically care for ourselves. Our bodies hold a lot of stress as they carry us around all day and keep us going. Physical health is fantastic but an incredible support to our physical wellbeing is body work such as massage or Body Stress Release. We often put our stress into our bodies and oftentimes need a release. We also store up emotional traumas in our body which do cause chronic diseases if ignored and body work can assist with clearing and releasing these traumas. This is why we offer body work on our retreats.

Exercise

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise we can get. We are designed to walk and walking on undulating surfaces like hiking on a mountain, gives us a lot in terms of movement of our bodies. It helps our digestive system to work optimally, bringing fresh oxygen to all our cells and giving us a deep sense of wellbeing. If walking is not possible, there are so many other forms of exercise as per our choice, but the main thing is that the body is designed to move. Movement stretches our muscles, gives space in the body where it is needed and helps us to release emotions and remove blockages be they physical or energetic. One cannot completely love oneself without doing some form of movement. See what the Mayo Clinic’s 7 benefits of exercise are.

Take care of your finances

We need money and financial abundance is now possible for more and more of us as we have long moved into the digital age. The fact that we need money can be a great stress in our lives. How much and what we do with it is as individual as our body types, but it is extremely important to care for our finances like we would care for our own body. It can be as simple as putting a budget in place in order to make sure that we have enough to eat well, sleep in a peaceful environment, exercise, rest and relax. Holidays or a wellness retreat all take money and the sooner we look after our money, the sooner we are able to truly look after ourselves. We can no longer separate our financial abundance from our physical wellbeing and all these self care practices can assist us to creating and/or maintaining our financial abundance. Perhaps this is a blog post for another day….

Peaceful home

For me having a peaceful home is probably the fundamentally most important aspect of Self Love. The moment I walk in through the front door, I am greeted with a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Each piece of furniture has been carefully selected by my partner and I to serve our home life, the colours and plants and fresh flowers bring us great joy. It is our sanctuary from the world, our own personal retreat.

Animals are a great way to bring extra love into the home. I’m besotted with my two (cats) of course and they love me deeply I’m certain. They give me a sense of being loved and cared for.

Stay tuned for part two of this blog in the coming weeks as we take a look at mental, emotional and spiritual Self Love.

Next: Self love - part two

What is Transformation?

There is so much going on in our individual and collective worlds today that it is often difficult to separate out what is real and what is unreal.  It is not to say that this computer is not here or that table is not there.  It is not to say that our relationships, our work, our lives are not real, but rather that it is not always easy to know what is real from our own innate perspective. We all have the part of ourselves that exists within us that is whole, intuitive, clear and insightful but our lives, the deadlines, the pressures, expectations and patterned behaviour can keep us from experiencing what lies within.  If we can allow all the dust to settle down, a sea of possibilities can emerge that perhaps we never knew existed.  When we begin to live these possibilities, we transform into a new person, into a new self. We transform into the person we want to be and perhaps more importantly, to the person we truly are.  

Often a retreat from the world into a new environment that is largely unfamiliar can open up unexpected doors.  A retreat can take you on a journey of another kind, an adventure into oneself. 

What does Transformation actually mean?

Transformation is a fundamental change in a person's sacred or spiritual life. In psychology, spiritual transformation is understood within the context of an individual's meaning system, especially in relation to concepts of the sacred or ultimate concern.

When life comes at us at a thousand miles an hour, our deepest calling and truest self often gets knocked unconscious by storms of distraction, anxiety, and heaviness. It can feel as if somewhere along the way, we lost connection to ourselves, our direction and our ability to see things clearly.  The truth is; we never really ‘lose connection’. The clarity we seek simply gets muffled under layers of toxic inner dialog, self-limiting stories and conditioned mind sets.

Our retreats are the perfect way to slash through the inner and outer clutter weighing us down in a fun, grounded, uplifting and safe environment. The experience of being in nature while connecting with others who also care about becoming their best selves is a deeply fulfilling experience. Transformational retreats help to strengthen the connection to your own internal guidance system, while discovering life-enhancing tools to help move you towards the vibrant, abundant and purposeful life that feels most aligned with your soul.

Get rid of the mental clutter by exploring different modalities such as meditation, nature walks, meaningful dialogue, yoga, insightful discussions, self-inquiry and presence and creating your very own ‘toolbox’ that will help you navigate life with lightness of heart, mind, body and soul.

There are many ways to affect transformation and it is a life-long process, a journey from head to heart to being; from physical body to emotional body to spiritual well-being. 

Transformation work will reveal the art of letting go, releasing feelings, taking off the mask and getting rid of the tensions that we have accumulated in various roles we have been playing in life. Because connecting with our emotions is really at the core of well-being.   

Process of transformation

An extremely important aspect of transformation work is detoxification. Every now and then, usually once or twice a year, we need to cleanse in order to protect our health, promote vitality and prolong our lives. Fasting is an extremely useful tool for this end. In our daily lives that are fraught with everything that is happening, no matter how ‘healthy’ we think we are, we must take time to cleanse and rest our bodies. Fasting, yoga, yogic cleansing practices, breathing, bodywork, healing modalities and exercises all assist the deep tissue detoxification. When we remove toxins then we can benefit more effectively from the foods that we eat.

Healing

Often transformation requires help from a healer. On our retreats we receive help from different healers in order to heal ourselves. There really isn’t anyone else that can heal us, but when we work with someone who can support us, then our own healing can happen. It is much easier to access our emotional, mental and physical patterns when we work with a clean and clear body. Our bodies become a channel for the spirit. After all, our bodies house our spirit. It is this process that brings alignment which is Transformation.

Next: Self love - part one

Peasant Pizza

I played Queen’s Greatest Hits album while I was cooking which is why the above video is set to Queen’s under pressure. I’m a big fan of playing music while I’m cooking. It’s very relaxing. Even if it is loud dance around in the kitchen while nobody is watching music.

This is simply one of the easiest dishes in the world to make. It is super quick to make and while the base is baking in the oven you can prepare the toppings. Once the base comes out of the oven you can add the toppings of your choice. If you’re avoiding wheat or gluten then this is a must try but remember to get gluten free oats. I got the recipe for the pizza base from Green Kitchen Stories which is truly one of my favourite places for vegetarian food inspiration. The tomato pizza sauce is my own and the combination of toppings is also my own. I don’t like too much cheese on any pizza, even when I’m enjoying a regular one from my local Italian restaurant in Cape Town, The Woodlands Eatery. They get it just right of course. I don’t like to use mozzarella so instead I go for emmental because it is savoury but yet mild in taste. I also don’t like to cook cheese, I only add it right at the end once the toppings are cooked and then only to melt it.

Peasant Pizza Recipe

Pizza Base Ingredients

1 x head of broccoli

1 x cup of oats (ground in a food processor to make flour)

3 x medium eggs

salt to taste

Toppings

1 x punnet cherry tomatoes

handful of fresh basil

pinch of Malden salt

olive oil

coconut oil

1/2 yellow pepper sliced into strips

1/2 aubergine - sliced and fried in coconut oil

1/2 block of Emmental cheese

1 x avocado

handful of rocket and spinach

pecorino cheese grated and sprinkled on top

fresh chopped chilli (optional)

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C. While your oven is heating, you can place the cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and olive oil in the oven to roast. Grind the oats in a food processor until you get a flour and then add your head of broccoli one floret at a time. You will begin to smell the beautiful raw oat broccoli mix. Remove the mix from the food processor and add the eggs and salt. Knead into a dough and then place on a baking sheet on a backing tray and press into your pizza base. I made an oval base because my oven trays are narrow and long. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. While your base is baking, prepare your toppings. Slice your aubergines and fry them in a pan in coconut oil. Thinly slice the yellow pepper and avocado. Set aside. Grate the Emmental cheese and set aside.

Once your pizza base is ready, remove it from the oven along with the tomatoes. Mash the tomatoes and spread onto your pizza base. Add the aubergines and yellow pepper and bake in the over for another 13 minutes. Now add your cheese and leave in the over for a further 2 minutes. Remove your pizza from the oven and throw the rocket and baby spinach. Drizzle olive oil and finely grated pecorino cheese. I can’t eat pizza without fresh chilli but you can decide for yourself if you would like it or not!

That’s it. The kids will love it!.

It’s great for a quick Friday evening meal after a busy week or even quite nice as a starter at a dinner party and then perhaps you could serve my Ricotta Aubergine Cannelloni for as a main dish.

Bon Apetit!

Next: What is transformation?