Personal Power – Inspired by Garlic

 

 

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a beautiful plant, a healing food, and a symbol of personal power and protection.

Growing up in an Italian American household, garlic was a go-to seasoning like salt or pepper.  I was shocked to discover as I got older that there are kitchens that exist without garlic.  This seems incomprehensible since it is in almost every dish I make!

Garlic is a powerful healing plant whose documented properties include regulating blood sugar levels and reducing the risks of heart disease. (1)  It has also been used since ancient times for its anti-microbial and anti-viral properties.(2)  I make a syrup with garlic that I take daily during cold and flu season. (For my favorite garlic syrup recipes scroll to the end of the blog post. )

The unproven properties of garlic include its ability to repel vampires and protect from evil. It is easy to understand why garlic would have that reputation. The powerful smell and taste of garlic makes it a great symbol of personal power, which is the mindfulness focus this week.

But the symbolism extends beyond the powerful smell. Garlic cloves are planted in the fall. And even though we have 10 degree nights (or colder) here in Denver, the garlic is alive, tucked safely in the soil, under mulch and sometimes snow. We can’t see it, but it is doing its thing, waiting for spring.  I love walking by my garden beds knowing the garlic is hibernating through the winter. The personal power it represents to me is the ability to gather strength quietly, to know when to hunker down and be still,  to wait until the season is right and begin to claim power.  It reminds me that there is a timing to claiming power.

The mindful focus this week, inspired by garlic, is personal power … exploring how it plays out in our lives. We all have personal power. It might be blocked or hibernating, but we do have personal power if we are paying attention. Some questions to contemplate:  Is our power quietly gathering strength or are there blocks we need to address?  Does our power serve us and others?  Are we using it to heal ourselves, others, and the planet?  How can we stay more in tune with our personal power?  Are we paying attention to timing when we use our personal power?

For more information on weekly mindfulness focus words click here.

Footnotes

(1) 7 Raw Garlic Benefits for Reversing Disease  

(2) The Healing Power of Garlic, Paul Bergner

 

  Simple recipe for colds and sore throats – my kids grew up with this one  (older kids – not for babies and toddlers)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup honey
2 cloves of garlic (remove the skin)
Blend everything in the blender.
Take 1 Tbsp every few hours

My current recipe adds some other potent ingredients for sore throats and colds

¼ cup vinegar (with the mother in it – this is unpasteurized vinegar that has some of the original bacteria that caused fermentation to take place )
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup honey
½ tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic
Blend everything in the blender.
Take by the Tablespoon every few hours.

You can experiment with different quantities to create your own recipe that is tolerable to your taste buds.