An interview with 'The Inspired Table'
04 May 2017
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Meet Jordanna Levin, recipe alchemist, conscious cook, speaker & writer who believes that food should inspire and nourish and not be a source of anxiety. A genuine beautiful soul, kind enough to share her nuggets of wisdom with us. Yogi Spirit continues to interview individuals that ignite that fire of inspiration within us so that we can live to our fullest potential.
Tell us a bit about the different hats you wear?
I have a vast ever changing collection of hats, but they all centre around the one thing: Complete nourishment for body and soul. I am a conscious cook and culinary sorceress who focuses on catering yoga retreats and wellness events (body nourishment), a meditation facilitator who is obsessed with the lunar cycle and runs monthly intention setting and manifestation workshops based on the new and full moon cycles (soul nourishment). I am also a recipe developer who develops new recipes for magazines, cookbooks and various food brands (body nourishment), a journalist who writes for different health titles (body and soul nourishment) and I host my own podcast series called "The Inspired Table" where I interview guests that inspire me in the hope that some of that inspiration rubs off on listeners (soul nourishment).
What does conscious cooking and mindful eating mean to you?
Conscious cooking is thinking about the following questions when choosing food from the supermarket: Where has my food come from? How far did it travel to get here? Is it in season? If it is an animal how was it treated? Intuitively how do I feel about what I'm cooking? Also, am I present while I'm cooking? am I stirring positive energy into this meal for my family or frustrated, negative energy?
Mindful eating is about being present with your food, putting devices away around dinner time, intuitively knowing when you're hungry, being thankful and grateful for the food you're eating. It's also about recognising that having a healthy diet and having a healthy relationship with food are two very different things.
Tell us about your inspired lunar nights?
It is an evening designed to fill up your spiritual cup. The New Moon is the perfect time to set intentions and do a conscious spiritual cleanse. I guide guests through specifically curated guided meditations, the art of intention setting and teach my method for successful manifestation.
I have just launched a second event as part of the series which ones on the Full Moon called Inspired Lunar Alchemy and it's for people who are looking to advance and expand their practice. In this workshop we look at crystals, sound healings, the chakras and auric fields. If that sounded like gobblygook to you then the New Moon event is a really good place to start.
What is the one wellness food you can't go without?
That is such a hard question! I hate choosing just one, but at the moment I'd probably say cacao. I make hot cacaos pretty much every afternoon, I also put it in bliss balls, raw chocolate, muffins and sometimes even savoury Mexican dishes.
Daily ritual you can't live without?
This is also a really hard question, because I have so many but I'm going to say coffee. I literally can't function without my morning coffee. But a second close to that would be some sort of mindfulness practice, whether it be meditation, journalling, yoga, pulling oracle cards or just sitting by candlelight and relaxing.
How has yoga influenced your life?
Yoga has changed my life profoundly.
It taught me how to breathe. It taught me how to heal. It taught me how to be kind to myself. In my early twenties I severely dislocated my shoulder in a yoga class (twice). As I lay there in excruciating pain and riddled with anxiety my teacher led me through a very simple Pranayama technique until the ambulance arrived. That's the moment my practice changed from exercise to a complete lifestyle. I ended up having surgery on my shoulder years later and during rehab I had to stop yoga for almost a year. During that time away from my mat I realised what a profound effect yoga had on my mood, my sleep, how I interact with people, my work, everything!
What does having a yogi spirit mean to you?
To me having a yogi spirit means to approach everything in life with love, curiosity and kindness. It's about recognising that we are part of the universal ecosystem. There is a constant ebb and flow to everything, you see it in the seasons, the moon, our menstrual cycles, crops etc. Our job is to surrender to that and be in a constant state of flow knowing that with every fall a rise will follow.
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Photo: Persian Love Cake photographed by Lisa Skerrett
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