The air is deliciously fresh and cold as I step out into the darkness of the early morning. Tiny snowflakes glitter in the amber light from the porch. The whole world stretches out in shades of blue and black, white and gold. I tilt my head up to the falling snow and let it chill my skin, drinking in the crisp smell of it.
We’re just over a week into the new year and I’m still riding those fresh, positive, renewed vibes. After so many months of feeling down and anxious and basically a little numb (or more than a little), this beautiful vibrant energy is a very welcome thing. That feeling of shedding the old skin grows more with every day and I’m so excited for the new “me” I’m stepping into.
With the beginning of this beautiful year I have also made the decision to delve even deeper into my personal healing journey and this past Wednesday I began Reiki training. I have been bursting with excitement for this class since deciding to sign up for it a month or so ago. I’ve wanted to get into healing work since I was a little kid and it feels so good to finally be working more actively toward the goal of healer. Not to mention the fact that this particular course is beyond incredible.
I met Vyana at the yoga retreat I attended last April and no one’s healing work has spoken to me as much as hers does. Normal Reiki trainings are usually done over a weekend, but this is a yearlong course broken into four levels. After the amount of healing I experienced in the few days of the retreat I cannot wait to see where I will be at the end of this course. If any of you are interested in getting into this type of work I cannot recommend Vyana highly enough.
Though class only began two days ago I am absolutely thrilled and bursting with gratitude. The other women taking the course are so inspiring and I feel incredibly honored to be surrounded by such love and support.
This morning during my meditation I found that I couldn’t stop crying—not because I was upset or sad but because it feels wonderful to be so happy again. My inner child is very overjoyed to be taking the class—as well as to be working toward the other goals I’ve set for the year (most of which simply revolve around the idea of making my life exactly the blissful, creative thing I’ve always dreamed of). After the first online lecture
Wednesday night I could hardly sleep I was so giddy. And with such a happy inner child my creativity has come back to life in full force. So far that creative energy has been the theme of this year. I’ve begun painting and drawing more, writing more, cooking more. The first day of the year was spent cleaning and clearing out tons of old junk and making space for all of these positive vibes. (It always helps to have my surroundings reflect what’s going on inside, and right now everything is full of open space and possibilities.) This type of bliss and creation is what last year was so desperately missing.
It comes as no surprise that with this mental boost my appetite has also come back to life. Now I actually want to eat food and know what my body wants, instead of everything seeming bland and uninteresting. My body, mind and spirit are finally starting to thrive again.
So. Soup. It’s my comfort food when I’m feeling down in the dumps but it’s also my celebration food during these cold months. The world outside is (finally!!) a winter wonderland so my body is craving some warm, spicy goodness.
This soup is probably one of my favorite soup recipes ever. I think I could be perfectly content eating nothing but this for the rest of my life. I don’t think soup is ever a complicated meal to fix, but this one is especially simple. Everything is in the pot within a few minutes and it doesn’t take much time to cook. Despite the simplicity of the recipe the flavors are spot-on. Sweet potatoes, paprika, coconut milk, dill… it really doesn’t get any better. This is delicious without the greens, but I can never seem to get my fill of green goodness; so in they go!
Paprika Potato Soup
Serves 4-6
1 large onion
2-3 Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium sweet potato
1 ½ tsp. ground paprika (I used a combination of regular and smoked paprika)
1 tbsp. dried dill weed
Dash of cayenne pepper, optional
1 ½ cup coconut milk
1 cup water
Splash of coconut aminos or tamari
Salt and pepper to taste
A few large handful of fresh spinach or other greens, optional
Melt a knob of coconut oil over medium heat in a large pot.
Finely dice the onions and add to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Scrub or peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. (I’m terrible at cutting anything into equal sizes, but I shoot for somewhere around ½-1 inch cubes.) Add the potatoes to the pot along with the paprika, dill, cayenne (if using), coconut milk, water and coconut aminos/tamari. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until all of the potatoes are soft. For and extra creamy soup you could replace some of the water with more coconut milk.
Chop the spinach, if using, and stir into the soup, letting it cook just long enough to wild slightly.
Enjoy!
Love and light,
Lane
