Author: The Mentor Kitchen

Create your reality

The (Alice in Wonderland) Queen’s exercise

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Energy, awareness and thoughts create your reality. There is no doubt about that, and I am not talking about the mambo-jumbo “what you think will manifest” because we have all entertained thoughts at some point in out lives to win the lottery and marry Prince Charming. What I am talking about is shaping your reality by thinking the right things for you and putting our energy in them, day in and day out.

If you don’t like a movie, would you stand up and go analyze the screen to find out how you can change the characters in it and the plot? Well, unless you are delusional you won’t do it. You have a better chance at changing the movie by either pressing a button on the remote, by leaving the room or going into the projection room if you are in your imaginary movie theater, to switch the reel with another you like better.

Constantly keeping the focus on the things we want to achieve, how we want to become, setting aside criticism, and as one of my  managers used to tell me “focus, focus, focus” is a sure way to get where you want to go and be who you want to be, which doesn’t mean to “fix you”, but to use your strengths to feel better.

I personally found that removing my inner critic is the hardest thing to do so when I am caught up in that vicious circle I try the no-criticism challenge: 30 days without criticizing never ever anything. If you fall and find ourself criticizing, you start counting from day one again. Almost impossible, I know. But if you try and put your attention to welcoming the negative inner voice, offer her a tea and then let it go away, you will be happier than before the challenge I promise.

So, following the Queen’s suggestion, can you think (and therefore create) six impossible things before breakfast? It will take some exercise for sure, writing them down, reflecting on them before going to bed, journaling, creating vision boards, defining a plan to get there, removing obstacles and putting constructive energy towards the impossible…but the reward is worth the effort.

 

It’s tea time (anytime)

Tea and coffee in different countries

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One of my teacups, this one is Japanese and I love it!

Tea is my favourite drink, more than a drink really it is an experience.

Brewing my first huge cup of chai in the morning (#chandernagor), enjoying a smoked lapsang souchong in the afternoon or a genmaicha with a friend always makes me feel better and more centered.

I get my morning Chandernagor tea from a little shop in Milano: I normally buy one kilo and it lasts for a couple months (yes, I drink a lot of it!) and now that I moved to the UK I have to be even more organized with my “doses” as they don’t ship outside of Italy.

The simple act of boiling the water, simmering the mixture of spices and black tea for two minutes, then adding milk and boiling for another two minutes, leaving the aromas develop and fill the air for two more minutes, then filtering and drinking slowly. I don’t like my morning chai too sweet, I don’t like it sweet at all while I know the real chai is made with lots of sugar that adds to its flavour.

It is a ritual, one that prepares me for a long day and sets the tone for the rest of the morning, no matter what is in my to-do list. Any ritual per se is grounding and soothing, reassuring to some extent on the fact that everything is going to be alright, giving back some sort of control over the external environment and calming the mind. When it involves tea, spices and beautiful vessels it also brings back many lovely memories like this exquisite cup bought in Japan at Gorakadan Onsen.

That must be the reason why so many cultures use tea and coffee as “mindful” moments, although it would be more correct to say mind-empty moments, since the focus on the preparation, and all the senses involved mean that there is very little mind and rationale going on, and a lot of instinctive repetitive and tasteful no-mind at work here.

Simple pleasures, indeed. #foodislife #tea #chai #gorakadanryokan #japanlove