Akhila Health Newsletter | Vol 2 | Ed 1.23

STAYING CONNECTED

Body, Mind, & Spirit

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Prema R. Rao, PhD

Founder & Executive Director

Restore: Body, Mind, & Spirit

As we begin the New Year, let us restore our body, mind, and spirit to its optimal state! In our workshops, one of the ways we welcome the New Year is by encouraging the women to reflect on the past year with an open mind and heart and set new intentions. Our objective is for the women in the shelters to connect within because, as we realize from our own experiences, this connection can provide the necessary impetus towards transforming thoughts into actions.

Some ways to facilitate an inner connection is through silence, walks in nature and observing oneself with detachment. A purposeful exercise such as a Guided Imagery Meditation can also help set intentions for restoration and renewal. I invite you to try the short recorded session shared in our Resources tab on our website. Enjoy the journey within - we wish you a Happy and Healthy year ahead!

Facilitator Spotlight

We are grateful for our dedicated facilitators, who give their time and energy to help achieve our mission. They are integral to our work, and we couldn’t do it without them. We will be featuring them in each edition!

GET TO KNOW:

Kathryn Strong

What does serving the community mean to you?

Serving in the community means I get to do whatever I can to be part of building healthy relationships. Connection and community can have a positive healthy impact on families and individuals.

How do you incorporate mindfulness into your life?

I incorporate mindfulness as much as I can into the moment. One moment builds and creates something. Building relationships and making memories whether showing up for someone in sadness or grief or celebrating in joy or happiness can build a beautiful life.

What do you enjoy most about empowering women through Akhila Health?

I enjoy being a small part in creating space for self awareness, compassion and growth. I get to grow with whoever I get to engage and participate with in and through Akhila workshops. I get to keep learning with other women, encouraging and empowering them to learn to love and care for themselves as they love and care for others. We matter. As I encourage others I am encouraged.

Meet the Facilitator Team

Feed your Soul - Mindful Eating

Eating is a deeply rooted sensory experience but it is often challenging to take time and be fully present for a meal. Engaging all 5 of our senses, sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch transforms eating into a mindful meditation that connects our whole self with a sense of peace.

Create a greater awareness of your mind-body connection by bringing all 5 of your senses to the table. Observe how foods affect your emotions, thoughts, and feelings as they nourish your body.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Engage one or all of your senses during one meal.

Kale White Bean Chili* - Enjoy!

In this recipe, the bright color of kale makes it a beautiful addition to most recipes. Beyond the beautiful green hue that it adds to the dish, it brings a load of powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Kale is especially high in vitamin K, a nutrient known for aiding in bone health and blood clotting in the body, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

*EverydayHealth.com

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
3 ribs celery
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup chopped kale
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Parsley, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and then onion, celery, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add beans, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth and bring to a light boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and add kale. Cover and simmer until kale is tender, about 15 minutes.
Serve with a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes and parsley, if using.

Nutrition per serving: 240 calories, 4g total fat (0.8g saturated fat), 13g protein, 39g carbohydrates, 9.4g fiber, 4.9g sugar (0g added sugar), 418mg sodium

*EverydayHealth.com

Become an Akhila Health Ambassador

Wondering how you can help and stay involved to uplift and support underserved women? Do you want to pay it forward and bridge the gap? Become an Akhila Health Ambassador.

LEARN MORE

Where is Akhila Health making an impact?

We help shelters by supplementing their programs with complementary stress management and holistic health programs and tools at no cost. We're often asked who these shelters are and where they are located. Below you'll see where we're actively conducting workshops, this is not a comprehensive list of our partners though. We are in the process of working with additional shelters to coordinate schedules and logistics, as well as resources and bandwidth. As we raise funds, we'll be able to more quickly and efficiently expand our reach.

We're grateful to these amazing shelters for the work they do to provide women in need with a bed and shelter. We have a unique partnership model that is impactful and customizable to meet our mutual objectives and goals.

HomeFirst: San Jose & Sunnyvale

HomeFirst™ is a leading provider of services, shelter, and housing opportunities to the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in Santa Clara County.

Family Supportive Housing:

Family Supportive Housing provides shelter and supportive services to homeless families in Santa Clara County, to empower them to move from homelessness to self-sufficiency in our community.