Send Healing Thoughts To Food Through Reiki

A few summers ago, I went to a Reiki gathering at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the Mount Hood National Forest area of Oregon. Reiki, which is Japanese for “universal life energy,” is a very gentle form of hands-on healing; it’s a great way to relax.

The first morning I woke up early, eager to experience the beautiful setting. I headed to the main building for breakfast. I was looking forward to wholesome food in a nurturing environment, and I was not to be disappointed.

I entered the lodge and looked around. A woman was seated at one of the tables. She had a simple bowl of oatmeal and a glass of juice in front of her. Her head was bowed and her hands were held over her food. She was sending Reiki to her breakfast.

“For me, it’s the same as blessing the food,” says Marjanna Ylitalo, who also sends Reiki to her food. Ylitalo, a Reiki master teacher in Spokane, says Reiki raises the vibrations of food. “It’s easier for our bodies to digest it then,” she says.

Ylitalo explained that often we don’t get to eat organic food that is raised very lovingly and that sometimes there are chemicals in foods. Sending Reiki and healing thoughts to our food just makes sense.

And whether or not you do Reiki, taking the time to put your hands over your plate of food is a way of giving thanks - even if it’s just a bowl of oatmeal.

Here’s a no-fuss bean meal that’s nourishing. Give thanks and offer your own blessing.

Quick Beany Bake

From “Vegetarian Fast Food,” by Rose Elliot (Random House, 1994).

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 (20-ounce) can baked beans

1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

1 cup canned corn kernels, drained

4-6 slices bread

1 cup grated nonfat Cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the onion and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the baked beans, kidney beans and corn. Cook the mixture gently until everything is hot.

Transfer bean mixture to a shallow, heatproof dish, roughly tear the slices of bread over the top, then cover with the grated cheese and place under heated broiler.

Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the bread is crisp and the cheese melted and golden brown. Serve at once.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 465 calories, 6.3 grams fat (12 percent fat calories), 26 grams protein, 83 grams carbohydrate, 5 milligrams cholesterol, 1,756 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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