We came across a quote from Pema Chodrun recently that got us thinking about how difficulties that repeatedly occurred in our past eventually became doorways into a deeper recognition of how okay we were even in the midst of the difficulty.
This is what Pema Chodrun said: "Nothing goes away until it has taught us what we need to know."
In the past, when I found myself in an uncomfortable situation I had been in before, I felt stupid for not learning my lesson the first time. What was I missing? And I often became self-critical... which of course didn't help.
But when I did see what the lesson was, I was surprised that it wasn't so much about the circumstance itself, but rather the meaning I was giving the circumstance, the thinking I had ABOUT it, that was causing the pain. Join us to hear more:
One of the keys we've found to seeing a deeper Truth in a situation, that gave us a sense of freedom in it, was to stop resisting it. When we became willing to meet the feeling fully, free of any thoughts we had about it, without resistance, a space eventually opened up where we saw how we were free of the constriction and pain. Like my seeing that, as much as I preferred that Bill come back to Canada with me, I was okay whether he did or not.
The pain I had experienced was my belief that I wouldn't be okay without him. But when I opened to feel the feeling without any resistance, what became clear was that I had been believing something that simply wasn't true: that I need someone or something outside myself to complete me.
The recipe this week is a delicious Mushroom Barley Soup. It's a wonderful, warming, deeply satisfying meal all by itself.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Mushroom Barley Soup (Serves 4)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or 2 tablespoons purified water
- 1½ medium onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 small rutabaga (optional)
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 3 cups purified water
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 cup pot barley
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups spinach
- Parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instant Pot Method: Add the oil or 2 tablespoons of water to the instant pot and select the sauté function.
Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions become translucent (3 to 4 minutes).
Add the mushrooms, carrots and rutabaga (if using one), the vegetable stock, water thyme, tamari, barley, salt and pepper and pressure cook for 16 minutes.
When the pressure-cooking time is done, allow the steam to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then, select Cancel and manually release any remaining steam. Once the pressure valve drops, you can open the lid.
Add the spinach and let mix in well. Allow it to wilt for 5 minutes, then ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy.
Stove Top Method: Same as above, only bring the soup to a boil after sautéing, then cover and turn down to simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, add the spinach and let wilt for 5 minutes.
To create a stew: Same as above, only decrease the liquid to 5½ cups total. And then add 2 tablespoons of arrowroot dissolved in 4 tablespoons of water just before adding spinach and stir well until thickened and clear. Then add the spinach and let wilt.