Foods of Joy

Inspired by the simple flavors enjoyed in retreat life, these simple recipes draw on various traditions of food as spiritual nourishment and medicine for the heart and soul. The eleventh century German visionary saint Hildegard of Bingen wrote extensively about she called “Foods of Joy” which she believed were crucial to spiritual development. She believed that the living presence of Virgin Mary and God was in the greening of the earth and that eating fresh foods carries this brightness to the soul, a taste of the Garden of Eden, the original non dual condition. In the Indian science of Ayurveda as well there is also an emphasis on fresh sattvic foods to support spiritual life and the practice of meditation. Chinese Medicine also has an extensive pharmacopeia of dietary and herbal medicine to support cultivation and health.