How to Find Contentment—the Buddhist Way
The Buddha himself knew the power of contentment. Discover ways to develop and maintain a sense ...
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Our world is a truly fascinating place full of tiny, everyday magicks.
Personally, my favorite everyday magick is food. Everything we consume from the natural world not only provides us with delicious nourishment, it also has the power to heal and revitalize us in surprising ways. Cherry moon milk is one of these magicks.
I’ve loved cherries since I was a little girl. As the granddaughter of four farmers, I had plenty of access to a variety of fruits, but when strawberry season waned and stone fruits hung heavy in the trees, cherries held my heart for the rest of the summer.
What I didn’t know was that my love of this fruit was likely rooted not only in their taste but also in how they made me feel. Cherries contain melatonin—the hormone our bodies release as we prepare for sleep—and are high in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and pain in the body. My adolescent self was unknowingly consuming a natural mood booster!
Magickally speaking, cherries are held in high regard as a fruit of longevity, inner peace, and enhancing intuition. This auspicious combination of medicinal and magickal properties makes them the perfect key ingredient for chilled, peace-inducing moon milk.
Moon milk is simply a blend of milk, natural sweetener, spices, and a main flavor—such as lavender or turmeric. It originated in Ayurveda, holistic medicine widely practiced across India. Today, Ayurveda and the many benefits of moon milk have taken the rest of the world by storm—and my kitchen is certainly no exception!
Though moon milk is usually enjoyed warm, the summer months demand a cold option, which inspired me to create the following recipe. And, since I believe life=magick, I also crafted a meditation to help enhance the drink’s soothing properties and really ground myself in the simple peace of enjoying an evening treat.
For the recipe, I decided to build on cherries’ natural health benefits by combining them with oat milk, raw honey, turmeric, and cinnamon. Oat milk’s nutty flavor complements the cherries, and oats also have mood-boosting properties. Raw honey is anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, as are both turmeric and cinnamon. Combined, they’re both delicious and intensely nourishing.
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
Ingredients
Tools
Method
**You can use any milk you like to tailor this to your tastes or dietary needs.
This is a fantastic meditation to do before you start getting ready for bed. I find it helps to reset my inner and outer energies, balancing them to help me get better, deeper sleep for longer.
You can also use this meditation after a stressful day to reset your energy and help you relax.
For the meditation, simply:
Allow yourself to feel gratitude for the peace of this moment.
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