As ever, it is with much love that we share this post and great hope that you may benefit from some of our vegan supplement tips at the bottom, and perhaps also attempt the wondrous 'Kerry Cake' that we were treated to this week.
The retreat season is in full swing here and we have enjoyed the company of many fine individuals over the past 7 days, including Mark and Ayshea Hawthorn who run a vegan cafe in Bath (Beyond The Kale) and multi-skilled therapist Sophie Clout (Therapies For Life)
If you are into - or would like to get more in tune with - health, mindfulness, yoga and the like, please email wearemerkaba@gmail.com for further information on retreat and community experiences.
Namaste,
Merkaba Community
PICS FROM THE WEEK
Weighting around . . . Exercise is for all here at Merkaba, with a range of ages and capabilities catered for
Pick a place . . . Retreaters can enjoy the converted bus, seen here displaying the home town of Charlotte (2nd right)
Hounded Clout . . . Therapy guru Sophie enjoys a bit more affection than normal from Anushka
RECIPE
'Kerry Cake'
Sweet pleases . . . Christ consciousness and cake go together when prepared and eaten with love
Above, we have a fine creation that is difficult to name, so henceforth it is known as 'Kerry Cake' in honour of its fine creator, the Merkaba kitchen goddess.
Base: Sunflower, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, coconut oil (all in a food processor).
Top: Avocado, banana, apple (blended) with strawberries and toasted coconut flakes to finish.
'SUPPLEMENT' TIPS
Meanwhile - and following another chat about Vitamin B12 - we thought it would be nice to share some of our favourite health-boosting nutritional 'supplements'...
Green highs . . . There are SO many servings of greens in the photo above, with no shortage of Vitamin B12 either
Hemp seeds
Hemp is the perfect protein, containing all the 20 amino acids, including the 9 our body cannot produce itself.
Furthermore, its 3:1 ratio of Omega 3:6 makes it a super valuable entity that is great for cardiovascular health.
Also good for hair, skin, nails, hemp seeds help you feel fuller, longer, so are good for trimming down while keeping your nutritional intake high.
Apricot Kernels
High in Vitamin B17. Good for sufferers of arthritis, and said to be a useful cancer battler/preventer.
Nutritional Yeast
Great source of Vitamin B12, a vitamin which doesn't typically appear in a vegan diet due to its presence in meat and fish. High in protein, fibre and folic acid.
Bit the snackpot . . . Milled hemp seeds, fresh ginger and a cup of water
Cacao
It's no secret that we love our cacao here. We even read it is the new 'party drug' sweeping the UK.
Another source of protein and fibre, it contains oleic acid, which is a heart-healthy fat.
It is also known to boost immunity, shed fat and improve memory.
Spirulina/Moringa
These two 'wondergreen' powders are astonishing, and have the power to combat malnutrition.
Spirulina is an algae found at the bottom of the sea and considered one of the most nutrient-dense substances on the planet.
It contains more iron than spinach, more protein (pound-for-pound) than BEEF, as well as a full range of antioxidants and minerals.
Moringa has more Vitamin A than carrots, six times more Vitamin C than oranges and DOUBLE the calcium of MILK.
We love living this lifestyle, and would love to share it with you too. If you are interested in visiting our Portugal-based community [nearest airport Lisbon] then please email WEAREMERKABA@GMAIL.COM or contact us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
We like things mystical here at Merkaba.
But it's been more like MISTYcal for much of the past week.
If Portugal experiences a few days of rain then we, by default of our mountain location, experience similar conditions but immersed in cloud. Like somewhere Frodo and them lot might have wandered through in Lord of the Rings.
Fall guys . . . the men of Merkaba (l-r) Jamie, Tommy and Dan stand and watch as Ewan topples a big tree
But lo, as the working week cleared it's way to the pinnacle, we were able to utilise the tree surgery skills of a visitor and collate much timber to keep us going for many an evening - and morning yoga in the winter - to come.
In the spirit of eco-loving, for every tree we chopped down,we have planted at least 10 in replacement throughout this year.
Logged on . . . an afternoon's work means months of firewood, and a nice excuse to plant more trees
As we said goodbye to baby Teila last week, we welcome Indigo, 2, and her mother Zoe. To see the joy on these little un's faces is an absolute delight. And they love the dogs, ducks and chickens too!
Indigo child . . . little Indie was always a shining injection of energy to any proceedings
We also took time to trim the garden area in preparation for fruit and veg growing season. If you are interested in any healthy, fun and literally fruitful farming experiences, please get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or email wearemerkaba@gmail.com.
Meanwhile, and in the spirit of creating regular and helpful content over the course of these blogs, there are five vibrant lifestyle recommendations that we have been enjoying this week. Plus a little dessert recipe for good measure!
Stay Unified,
Merkaba Community
HEALTH TIPS
Sun Gazing:
Plenty of research has now been done on this ancient practice that is regaining popularity.
Scans of a 70-year-old long-term sungazer showed a pineal gland [a really very brilliant part of the brain, right bang in the middle of it] three times larger than an average man. And the pineal gland is supposed to shrink as we age.
This would suggest sungazing is good for maintaining high spiritual enjoyment of life.
One man claims to have foregone food for EIGHT YEARS, existing on a 'diet' of just the sun's rays.
We only do it at sunrise or sunset, for the 10-15 minutes either side of it disappearing, as otherwise the light rays would burn too much.
And we can still eat plenty of healthy food too!
Amazing rays . . . sungazing puts things in perspective when you've been taking light in directly from such a long way
Hugs:
The energy exchange encourages empathy and understanding, teach us how to give and receive, relaxes muscles, boosts self-esteem, elevates serotonin levels, heals feelings of loneliness/isolation/anger, builds a sense of trust and even strengthens the immune system.
Yoga/Meditation:
One aim of the practice of yoga, in its earliest incarnations, was to restrict the fluctuations of consciousness.
Thus, in enjoying up to two hours daily as part of our regular morning routine, the best possible chance of level-headed thriving ensues.
Topped and/or tailed with breathing exercises/soundbowl healing meditations, these sessions also allow for ful oxygenation of the blood, resulting in greater efficiency and delivery of nutrients and healing entities throughout the body.
Fresh water:
We are privileged here at Merkaba to reside on the side of a crystal mountain through which all our water is filtered.
The benefits of drinking filtered water - as opposed to tap water which contains many additives including fluoride - include a purified pineal gland, which is the central node of the brain responsible for creative, free thought. The pineal gland is calcified by fluoride so drinking straight tap water may as well be a no-no if possible.
Turm' of our lives . . . this wonder root should be on everyone's shopping list right now
Turmeric:
Everyone - it seems - is on about how great turmeric is these days.
For years it was dismissed in the Western world as little more than a food colouring, but thanks to many recent studies can rightly be lauded for the healing, miraculous substance that it is.
It is anti-inflammatory, good for skin and brain health, helps fight cancer, diabetes, depression.
Thus, we like to enjoy it in the morning in a glass of hot water with lemon and black pepper.
Plus apple cider vinegar if one should feel so inclined.
THIS WEEK'S RECIPE
BlackBean Mint Chocolate Mousse with Toasted Peanut and Coconut Sugar Crumble
Beans means fine . . . this dessert packs a protein punch while satisfying taste buds too
Bit of a sweet treat this one... But nowhere near as 'naughty' as it feels!
Because of the black bean base, the mousse is actually a nutrient dense bombshell, packed with dates, cacao, coconut oil and a splash of freshly made, raw hemp milk.
Blended together - after thoroughly cooking the beans - and popping in the freezer will see you right.
For the crumble, mill up a cup full of peanuts, with a tablespoon or two of coconut palm sugar, plus a tablespoon of cacao nibs if available.
Fry the above mix in a generous amount of coconut oil.
The sugar, when fried, will melt around the peanut dust, forming a sweet and crispy crumbly topping that, when cooled and the sugar hardens, still offers crunch even the following day.
Thank you for the kind response to our first blog. The subsequent positive feedback, opportunity inquiries and connections have all been very much appreciated.
This is a busy time for the Merkaba Community in general, with many themed 'Holiday Retreats' in the pipeline for the summer, comprising week-long cookery, fitness, self-discovery/survival experiences galore.
The brochure is currently being put together and will be with you along with next week's posting.
We also very recently entered the world of Instagram...
Any questions? Get in touch by emailing wearemerkaba@gmail.com
Monday:
New retreaters arrived, including raw chefs/yoga teachers Tracy Sadler and Dionne Reid, plus Health Coach Jo Hodson.
Each of the three is on a mission to bring about a healthier world and have been wonderful energetic insertions into the Merkaba vibration and we all thoroughly recommend you check out their respective online presences (links below).
We'd already enjoyed the presence of yogi-builder Dan's cousin Steve, with partner Louise and baby Teila, who kept everyone chipper and amused all week long...even often out-raving us all!
Too cute . . . but enough about Charlotte's Batman pyjamas, look how adorable Teila is!
The new arrivals to the Merkaba Community clearly brought the good weather, as the start to this last week was roasting.
As such, the morning yoga ceremony was, ahem, conducted on the 'Bus Deck'. These sessions are abundant with opportunity for self-exploration and on this occasion took place accompanied by the serene sounds of nature flowing with our myriad stretches.
The sun rises over the distant mountains at 7am on a Monday morning
We find that once a person's first yoga session is undertaken, they feel a lot more relaxed and tuned in to what we do here on the mountain [which often amounts to, 'love a lot, encourage each other, eat/train well, explore ways to spread positive self-empowering messages throughout humanity etc].
Continuing the good health into the latter part of the working week's opening day, we enjoyed a pre-dinner aerobics session, combining Tai Chi principles with cardio interval training to form a new style of 'ChiStyle' dance workout. This pioneering form of muscle-building rhythm routine looks likely to feature heavily in the burgeoning 'Hot Fit Camps' that are being discussed as additions to the retreat schedule over the summer and into the autumn.
Tuesday:
The hot-hot-hot-hot-heat continued, bringing about an earlier-than-normal start to yoga, after raw food expert Tracy and Kerry - the resident Classical Kitchen Goddess - had gone for a sunrise hike while Jamie could be found halfway up Crystal Mountain, huffing and puffing by way of specialised breathing exercise.
Last week, a visitor remarked during a morning jog: "Was that you outside earlier? I wasn't sure if it was a wild animal or not."
The balmy conditions made way for an afternoon of arts and crafts in the shade, followed by a refreshing dinner.
Raw hummus, carrot/coriander/sesame seeds, tomato/garlic/salt/pepper
Wednesday:
In the spirit of introducing metabolism-boosting activities at targeted times of day, we began with a 20-minute door-to-door jog, involving a trot down the mile-long driveway and interval sprints all the way home. This was done early so as to avoid another day of solid heat.
Into the summer, we will be doing regular Pranayama breath work to stay cool.
Here is a nice tutorial, and one that represents the kind of information we love here:
During the heat-coping phase, current resident Jeremy completed some one-on-one breathing workshops with Steve and Louise.
Jez is trained in the art of 'Clarity Breathwork', which is nicely summed up as a 'transformational tool to release limitations'.
These types of sessions are likely to feature in the Discovery Holidays planned for later in the year.
For dinner, Tracy smashed some raw wraps out of the park. As she usually does!
Prior to evening grub, after conditions had become mild, Tommy, Dionne and Jo set off on a fitness stroll.
'I find the bunny ear/lab coat combination removes a large sense of pressure from the workout' - Tommy
This was the view once the TRX straps had been hung from a tree as part of the 'circuit walk'
Thursday:
Misty morning yoga in one of the domes.
During the afternoon, resident Merkaba Life Coach Jamie enjoyed individual workshops with two of our holiday-retreaters.
Jo Hodson - a Health Coach looking to expand and refine her practice - says: "There is something special about the coaching taking place in this particular environment.
"It allows for the Merkaba philosophy, centered largely around embodying unity consciousness, to permeate the session in a way that might not - for example - be prevalent in a random coffee shop.
"In the open air of the Portuguese mountains, you are already getting to know yourself better, which can then in turn be verbalised during coaching."
Dionne Reid - a raw vegan chef, yoga instructor and massage therapist - also benefitted from the session with Jamie.
She adds: "It gave me great clarity and faith in what I am doing. It was nice to be in a place where complete trust can be facilitated in such a small period of time."
Thursday evening saw the Merkaba gang [of which everybody is a part by the way. The 'We' in 'We Are Merkaba' includes you too] enjoy gracefully descending upon the runway of slumber in the plane of Yin Yoga, lovingly piloted by Dionne, who opened hips and lengthened hamstrings with gentle adjustments and clear, considered instruction.
Jamie, left, and Tommy perform some text book basic balancing acrobatics, before Yin night
Friday:
This morning's yoga was simultaneously Goddess-themed and multi-gendered.
In acknowledging their feminine side, blokes can become one with the yin-yang balance of masculine and feminine energies of the spirit in a way that increases vitality and energy.
The feminine aspect is one likely to feature in Tracy's vision for the 'Raw Cookery Workshop' weeks.
Trained ballet teacher Tracy has an infectious energy and relaxed instruction style that is adored by all.
After our weekly team gathering (at which the forthcoming specialist retreats were the focus of discussion) the gang began a stroll around the mountains.
We took a similar-but-different route to the standard morning jog, and found much joy in the opportunity to truly savour the views without worrying too much about keeping hold of our breath.
(From left) Jamie, Charlotte, Jo and Tracy debate the mystery behind the burnt stump . . . Verdict: Lightning
Upon return - and following a half hour boxercise blast - we were treated to a fine plate of bean burgers (thanks Tracy) and broccoli/cauliflower cheese (ta Kerry) before an impromptu evening popping/robotics session with Tommy.
Dionne, left, and Jo enjoy some 'outside the box' training before a Friday evening dance
A happy week, and one that sees this growing community spring forth with many exciting health/healing/fitness/nutrition/spiritual development opportunities for the coming months.
Brochure coming next week, in the meantime email wearemerkaba@gmail.com with any questions, suggestions or feedback.
Click the names to find out more about the work of Raw Food Revolutionary Tracy Sadler, Yin Yoga Instructor Dionne Reid and Health and Wellness Coach Jo Hodson respectively.
"The mer ('light'), ka ('spirit'), ba ('body') union is a sacred one that responds directly to emotion.
You are connecting with aspects of your being that stretch far beyond your everyday life and promise to put you in touch with your Higher Self and universal wisdom.
You are becoming a seeker of intuitive knowledge. This is no small venture, and it may become a significant part of your life path.
Begin exploring expanded awareness and see where it may lead you. Be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime as you step into the outer limits of human potential."
The Sacred Geometry book from which the inspiration for the Merkaba community name emerged during a morning yoga
A simple way to define the Merkaba group may well be thus; a Vegan-Yoga-Eco Community, operating from the side of a mountain in the Portuguese wilderness.
As a location, we offer volunteer programs for individuals keen to help with gardening, building, cooking and other self-sustainable community development as required.
As a holiday destination, tailored retreat experiences are available (email wearemerkaba@gmail.com more info).
A typical day is as follows:
7-9am:
Waking at our leisure, convening in the living room area of Dome 1.
Some residents choose to go for a run around the mountains or enjoy a calisthenics workout on our outdoor gym area at this time too.
Our resident Tai Chi and Aerobics guru, Tommy, offers pre-breakfast blasts for those interested!
9-10am:
Breakfast time, offering myriad super smoothies, organic porridges, fruits, teas.
A popular choice recently has been a chocolate-chia combo comprising freshly made pumpkin seed milk, cacao, milled hemp seeds, sprinkled with dates, chia and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Yum.
Speaking of fresh lemon, this window of time is also when we most usually imbibe a squeeze of fresh lemon with a chunk of raw ginger and shot of organic Apple cider vinegar. Refreshing!
The fruit is plentiful, and enjoyed freshly from nearby trees
10-12:
Yoga.
We often enjoy free flow sessions but welcome any trainee/newly qualified teachers who may wish to hone their craft as a volunteer for the week.
Our resident yogi-builder, Dan, puts on a cracking Ashtanga class too!
This is a great time to get to know oneself and experience the magic of Angel cards, crystals, soundbowl healings and various otherworldly accoutrements that go perfectly with mindful movement to start the day.
12-12.30:
Post-yoga high-fives/hugs/looking at the sky/talking to the dogs/cuppa.
12.30-1.30:
Lunchtime. Many of these wonderful meals comprise fresh, raw salads along with flavoursome side dishes of chickpeas/lentils/brown rice to provide both light energy and filling fuel for the bulk of the afternoon. Yum
We love a bit of blue sky thinking at the top of Crystal Mountain
1.30-2:
Post-lunch high-fives/hugs/looking at the sky/feeding the ducks.
2-5:
Gardening, building, washing, arts and crafts, reading, massage, healing.
The afternoons are when residents and volunteers typically go about their day-to-day tasks.
For holiday-retreaters, their are a number of scenic walks to enjoy locally, which can be guided by one of the Merkaba gang, or maps can be provided.
We also have a number of treatments available, which can be arranged during your booking period.
5-7:
Relaxing, gathering ahead of dinner.
This is another good time for a workout.
Tommy prefers to utilise this period for a dance-based aerobics session in order to raise the metabolism ahead of a nutrient-rich dinnertime.
It's also a fine window to experience a self-exploration session with resident Merkaba Life Coach Jamie - which can also be arranged during booking, or upon arrival.
Peppered tomatoes, raw hummus and carrot/coriander/sesame seed side salad
7-8.30:
Dinner.
We love all sorts of vibrant vegan foods here, but a few recent recipes that stand out include black bean burgers, parsnip chips and raw hummus, butternut squash curry with beetroot/carrot/coriander side salad and falafel balls with raw tomato and garlic soup.
Again... Yum!
8.30-11:
After dinner we enjoy a mixture of activities such as film nights, ecstatic dance ceremonies, moonlight bonfires, guided meditations and more.
All after a good day's work...and play.
We are now booking retreats for August, September and October.
For more information, please feel free to email us on wearemerkaba@gmail.com You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
