Here on my digital nomad travels, as I dive deeper into self development and personal growth - I recently manifested a dream and had the honour to immerse into a farm stay in the Western Ghats region of rural India. I stayed in a Mud Hut, and once I got over the insects and strange noises, I realised I felt totally at peace here.
There are very simple practices and way of life here. A daily ritual symbol is painted at the entrance to welcome guests. If there is no symbol, the house is not receiving guests.
Shoes are left outside, which is a practice I love - but here I was suprised to learn that it is because the floor inside is mud, so when we're bare feet inside, we are connected to the earth and Grounded. The floor is also sealed with cow dung (this is also common practice in Africa), which insulates the floor, and acts as an insect repellant.
In Celtic lore, I grew up with a ritul to leave the shoes outside, and coat in the doorway (the reason many Western homes have a porch). Leaving the outside energy at the door, and crossing the threshold to enter into the space of the home. This threshold crossing makes a significant shift to represent a sacred space, a safe space. Perhaps we leave all of our baggage at the door when we enter spaces such as this.
In the East one would always leave their shoes at the temple door, bringing the bare purity and innocence inside before the divine communion. A threshold from the outside world, to the inner space.
Honouring these simple acts such as crossing the threshold of the home, trains our mind to honour more, become present more, remain grounded, gentle and loving more.
Therefore nourishing our mind, body and soul with such simple daily acts.
With this simple lifestyle in mind, we can bring it into all aspects, and food is a big one. Not just what we eat, but how are where we eat. When we cook here in the mud hut, we know we are cooking food that has been sourced locally, and we are fully present only with the cooking process. The energy that comes from the food when cooking in this way nourishes us physically and energetically. This is Soul Food - because it has been grown, and cooked with Love.
Have you ever noticed that food from a happy kitchen always tastes amazing? Have you ever tasted prasadam at a temple or ashram? It could be the most simple of dishes - but it will hold the flavour of devotion. In the hindu scripture the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna says “if one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” In the West, many still bless and 'grace' their food before eating.
The act of offering or blessing doesn't need to be elaborate or fancy - but the very act itself creates a divine threshold which is entered into before eating.
In many traditions, when a main ingredient of the food is loving presence, the food becomes kind of supercharged.
In the Hindu faith it is offered to the dieties, in order to receive divine blessings.
This intention infuses the food and it becomes 'prasad', loosly translated as 'gift from god' and connection between divine and physical. In ancient Egyptian culture it was also common practice to offer food to the pharoas.
These practices maintained a connection to the divine aspect within us.
Much as we witness a world in chaos, it is also essential we remember that many of us are also living in a very priveledged time - and crossing the biggest threshold we have ever faced. We can create beauty (in fact, if we feel we can - we must. Only Loving presence is getting us out of the chaos).
We have access to wisdom that has been passed through thousands of years, across thousands of miles. We have the opportunity to tune into the stories of our ancestors of the east, west and all directions, for all relations.
We have the opportunity to slow down, simplify, and create beautiful sacred rituals that will enhance our life and our impact on the world around us. To realise we have this flame of divinity within us, and we can use it for the greater good, as we are designed.
Could we create and linger in the threshold a while, and contemplate how this feels? To leave our baggage at the door, to consider the energy that we bring into a home - or any space for that matter.
You know the feeling after a long day when the door closes behind you, and you take a big deep breath. There were many days in my dark past (and for many right now) where this was not the case, where home was a terrifying place to be. So if we are able to - it is a simple way to level up.
I have consciously learned and remembered these ancient techniques to ensure that the energy of my home is that of sanctity. I create thresholds to linger in every day - because in this sweet space, I am present.
When the energy in our home, office, vehicle is calm and clear - we know we are safe, we can balance, focus and regulate our emotions.
When the energy in our kitchen is clear, and we are present with the food we are preparing and eating, we know we are nourished.
Being fully present in a threshold - any threshold, creates a shift in our whole being. This is a habit we can take into every day life, with any threshold we cross, whether it is physical or emotional, and it is a conscious choice that we can make in any given moment.
The more we practice, the more present, connected and whole we become.
I have more daily practice & ritual self love tactics in my 'Rooted in Wellness' mini ebook 👉 clarebelmont.net
I also work 1:1 as a self development coach if this resonates with you - let's chat.
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