This is the month of love. In my opinion love is the greatest and least understood of all emotions. Most of us have an erroneous concept of true love. In my generation music provided a romantic concept that was mostly unattainable.  As we see major shifts in society and culture, I wanted to share what I have learned in recent years about the heart. Just like we think of getting our heart “broken” in romance or we call cruel behavior “heartless” – we naturally understand the importance our heart plays in our everyday lives.

Healers around the world are no different, recognizing that we are shifting from focus on the mind to more understanding of the heart. Intuition seems to come from the heart. When you open the heart you have access to wisdom and healing you could NEVER experience through the mind. The Chinese call the heart the master controller. This last year I have adopted several practices that have begun to open and heal my heart chakra. This has brought peace, healing, and miracles in spite of a pandemic. In conversations with many of you I’m realizing how important these practices could be for ALL of us!

I’m sharing links to a couple of my favorite heart practices here. I hope that you gain some insight into your heart from one or more of these:

1. Energy Routine – created by Donna Eden. This adaptation is by Barbara St. Dennis of New Moon Energetics.
2.  Dawson Church’s meditation on “Regenerating My DNA in a Positive Energy Field.” This is also available on Insight Timer for those who use that app. 

Below, you will also find a few mood boosting lunch ideas. The state of our heart can heavily influence our mood, but so can the state of our bodies. Why not love on yourself with some nourishment?

Simple Mood Boosting Salad Ideas
ByThe Greatest

Warm quinoa, spinach, and shiitake salad

Fights: Depression and anxiety

Quinoa – A superfood and complex carbohydrate.  It’s a great vegan protein source and complex carbohydrates can help increase levels of serotonin in you brain. 

Spinach – Has lots of B vitamins, which are great for mood. 

Mushrooms – Are a wonderful source of selenium. This compound my help fight depression. 


Salmon and spinach salad with olive oil vinaigrette

Fights: Depression

Salmon and Olive Oil – Are full of omega-3 fatty acids that may help fight off symptoms of depression.

Make sure to use a dark green lettuce, like spinach, to get the most nutrient density and those B vitamins again! 


Beet, orange, and avocado salad

Boosts: Mood

Colors – a colorful salad is beautiful and just bound to bring a little joy to your day!

Beets – Full of folate, these richly colored roots help fight off depression.

Citrus – Full of vitamin C, citrus fruits may reduce distress.  Add some fresh lemon to your dressing and help boost your brain with the flavonoids found in the juice.

Header photo by the A Beautiful Plate

Cassandra Orjala of Radiant Health CDA has been practicing nutritional counseling and colon hydrotherapy for over 30 years. She currently works and resides in Post Falls, Idaho serving clients in all of North Idaho and Eastern Washington.