Chakra Recipes: Green Buckwheat Bowl for Heart Chakra

*Recently, we heard from a one of our U.K. fans, Sarah, who suggested we do some chakra recipes--and of course we were like, "heck yeah!" This one is a first in the series from Jennifer!* When I first wrote about the chakras for Peaceful Dumpling, I admit I didn't know what I was getting into. Rather than it being a purely intellectual exercise, my reading and blogging became a deeply emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey into my previously unknown self-limitations and strengths alike. In simply being aware of the tremendous amounts of energy that our bodies are conduits of, I discovered how to use and alter my perception of my past experiences, values, and personality to try and keep myself in a state of inner balance. The heart chakra, located at the center of the chest, was one of my biggest trouble areas. It's where we channel our ability to give and receive love, which depends largely on communication with others and ourselves. An open heart chakra will make a person aware of when they feel emotionally, physically, and intellectually satisfied and whole. It's the fulcrum of the chakra system, connecting the lower, grounding chakras to the higher, more spiritual chakras. While my heart troubles made sense for a variety of reasons, one thing I was perplexed by was how I could be so out of sync with a chakra whose color was green--my favorite color. It's the most neutral and natural of colors and reminds us that, like plants, we're meant to grow outward into the air and sun while also growing down into the soil of ourselves. This color, though, also makes it quite simple to find the right vegan foods to nourish the heart chakra: look no further than your greens. This recipe combines just about every super-green leaf you can think of in a warming, satisfying bowl that you can eat by yourself (self-love!) or share with others. The green puree is a kind of heart protector, a neutral and healing element; the pink radish garnish represents the heart itself, which is soft and uplifting. As winter starts to melt away, enjoy this and other green food and drinks (smoothies, matcha tea, the options are endless . . .) to kick-start your spring diet and, of course, send some love to your incredible, amazing, miracle of a body.