Food as Medicine
To no shame, I think I've gained at least 10 lbs since being in Southeast Asia. Unlike the states, eating out is not a luxury and is weaved into the fabric of the culture at an average cost of $2 a meal. (Yes, this is my sole $2 order of chicken curry in Mandalay, Myanmar with sides included - which means it's meant to be shared!) I sought a Vedic astrologer at one of the temples who said I need to eat more, sleep more, meditate more, exercise more, and most importantly be less in my head to survive this next phase of my life - things my love already tells me as he is the witness to my internal struggles that I don't often share. A little over a month ago, I was so sick to my stomach that anything I ate brought me pain. I was on the floor crying, and lost a significant amount of weight fearful of anything I put in my body. Doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me, and I even thought about canceling this trip. Since arriving here, all the symptoms I had have faded and even I'm amazed by all that my body has been handling with ease. Our gut is where our solar plexus chakra lies which houses fear, anxiety, and stress which can be transformed into confidence, clarity, and action with a mindfulness practice. I wish I didn't have to travel overseas to get the healing I needed, but I hope to return to laugh at the things I stress about to avoid further manifestation of physiological illnesses. I also recognize as an empath my stress and anxiety is an accumulation of the suffering I experience around me, and I am striving to create healthy energetic boundaries to no longer absorb them as my own. How can we collectively transform the pain that so many of us are experiencing in silence? My wish is for all of us to have more opportunities to laugh, eat, and share meals together as a form of medicine. ππΎ
Rad Na, my favorite Thai-Chinese childhood dish for 40 baht, or $1.50 a bowl
Complimentary Myanmar tea being served at the airport
Home cooked meal in Inle Lake, Myanmar
In the month I've been away I rarely took food photos, but this is just a glimpse of how I've been spoiled, 3x a day and in the great company of old friends and new. π Thank you, motherland, for allowing me to receive your nourishment and for healing me in so many ways.