VLP S5 6 Cristina Urioste : Food as Medicine, Ayurveda and the Joy of Teaching

Greetings Rainbow Warriors, Today I'm coming to you from Ojai, California.I'm here visiting my soul tribe and preparing to offer some healing workshops for the community that is just getting back on it's feet after the largest fire in California history swept through here last fall. The mountains surrounding this sacred valley are a sight to behold as the green is just starting to pop through the burn scars that cover the hills, and a variety of colorful wildflowers are sprouting up, creating a unique landscape that screams rebirth. It's been a blessed homecoming seeing everyone who survived the trauma of the fires. Some of the best hugs ever are happening here now, and my heart is so full. I'm sorry about the lapse in publishing a show, but, It was beyond my control because…. my computer died in Indonesia. You may have seen my facebook live video talking about it? When I thought it was just the battery? Well it turned out to be the motherboard dangit. It took me over 60 hours to get back to California, and then I went to immediately move out of my place I've lived in for 20 years, sort through aaaaaaall my possessions, and look for a new computer all at the same time, while fighting some serious jetlag soooooooooo…. Now I'm on the other side of all that, thank God. And yeah, you heard me right, I just let my place in Los Angeles go. A huge chapter of my life is coming to a close here on this trip. I've given away or sold almost everything I owned, including my car guys. So I am now an official yomad, free to roam the world with a lot less weight. Releasing the old, to make space for the new feels so deeply, like the right choice. . I'm embracing the thrill and mystery of world travel and freeing myself up to accept aligned opportunities as they arise. If you've been finding value in the show, and can spare a few dollars, your donations are always appreciated, and I've set up a special fund to support the unexpected purchase of my new laptop And now onto today's Show. Today's guest is Cristina Urioste Cristina's appreciation for organic, seasonal, and locally grown food began while living on a beautiful farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where she learned organic gardening techniques and grew her own fruits and vegetables from 1997- 2000. Participating so fully with the cycles of nature served as a profound epiphany in her understanding of the human relationship with food. It was also during that time that she began studying Ayurveda, an ancient holistic lifeway from India (often considered yoga's 'sister science'), at The Wise Earth School of Ayurveda. There, Sri Swamini Mayatitananda carefully taught her about grace, wholeness, and sadhana in the kitchen, and reminded her that food is medicine. Ultimately, in 1999 she became Chef of the Wise Earth School, preparing food for Swamini Mayatitananda Herself, as well as doctors, health practitioners, healers, yoga teachers, and spiritual seekers. Since then, Cristina has been cooking and teaching others how to prepare wholesome delicious meals at wellness retreat centers, yoga centers, summer camps, private homes, fundraising events, movie sets, and more. Cristina currently lives in Venice, California, where she continues to garden and prepare organic delights with constant love and joy. You can typically find her at one or more of the outstanding farmer's markets on the Westside with a canvas bag full of organic goodies for that week's menu. She caters events and prepares food in private homes. She also teaches Kitchen Wisdom: Holistic Traditions for Sustainable Wellness classes both privately and in small groups. Her brand name is Rasa Foods. RASA IS A SANSKRIT WORD THAT MEANS "DIVINE NECTAR." IT ALSO MEANS "THE SAP, THE JUICE, THE ESSENCE OR VITALITY IN A SUBSTANCE." RASA FOODS: DELECTABLE SALUBRIOUS COOKing that TAKES PRIDE IN CREATING MEALS FORTIFIED WITH THE NOURISHING ESSENCE AND VITALITY OF LIFE. Cristina is also the creator and curator of The Learning Kitchen, a stage at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival that's grown to over 30K tickets sold. I met Cristina 4 years ago when she invited me to present at The Learning Kitchen . This will be my 4th year presenting there, and if you're in California please do come and don't miss my "Yoga Starts in the Kitchen" workshop. The stage is packed all weekend with workshops sharing super creative ideas and much needed knowledge about food. It is not to be missed! Make sure to check out the show notes for links to Cristina's work, as well as her kitchari recipe that she mentions during the interview. Those can all be found at visionary-lifestyle.com   Link to donate to Magda's computer fund https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/84ioece4Gp Cristina Urioste http://www.rasafoods.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rasafoods/     Kitchari Recipe https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GXX3_y9B6WwEK3iZH9MbGdvzo5CjCqCDloapWImsV_4/edit?usp=sharing   #Ayurveda #BlessingourFood #FoodasMedicine #PutYourHealthinYourOwnHands #omyum #Bijamantra   "Food is a common denominator" "You can heal your relationship with the earth through the food that you eat" Cristina Urioste