![€4 Cuffe Street Cooking Classes]()
Energy of Food Blog, Home
Find out, what to eat to help you sleep, build healthy bones, maintain good blood pressure, to remain calm in stressful situations and to live a happy life, full of joy
Have fun and try new food – Thursday 10.30-12.30 – Greenside Hse, Cuffe St
No need to book – just drop in
Cost €4 (includes all food eaten within the class)
4 May Healthy Immune System – Kashmiri Cauliflower & Masala Omelettes
11 May Hormones & Bones – Arame with Carrots and Sesame & Cucumber & Dillisk Salad & Fresh Gomasio
18 May Flexibility & Joints – Simple Pressed Salad & No Sugar Crumble
25 May Healthy Heart – Special Lettuce Salad & Beet Marmalade
8 June Stopping Sweet Cravings – Crunchy Cabbage with Garlic & Ginger & Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
15 June Whole Balanced Health – Fried Minty Peas & Greek Tzatziki & Spring Miso Soup with Lemon
22nd June Allergies & Irritation – Ginger, Lime & Pineapple Salad & Broccoli & Green Beans with Sesame Dressing
![€4 Cuffe Street Cooking Classes]()
Events, Home
2, 3, 4th June 2017
Bobbio Centre, Co Wicklow
- Conscious Cooking Classes focusing on recipes for a healthy heart, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars
- Amazing Vegetarian Meals
- Tai Chi & Chi Gong sessions focusing on calming the mind bringing peace and satisfaction to the body
- Loving Kindness Meditation & Mantra
- Time to rest and walk in the stunning grounds and secluded beach in North Wicklow
The heart in Chinese represents vibrant summer energy within our body. It is where our consciousness, our soul dwells. When the hearts energy is clear it radiates joy and brilliance. When out of balance it can lead to palpations, insomnia, dizziness, racing pulse and anxiety. Emotionally the heart enhances our ability to feel connected and to receive love from the world around us.
In a simple weekend, understand the clear connection between our emotions, the food we choose and how that directly affects our health
Learning easy to cook recipes and practicing Tai Chi are great ways to nourish & cleanse the organs, lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugars, helping the body reconnect with the Heart’s Desires with clean, flowing, vibrant, blood.
Cost €295, single rooms allocated first come first served basis
Deposit €95 14 participants max (optional extra Sunday&Monday €75)
Price includes all food, accommodation & tuition.
www.joannefaulkner.org 086 607 0432 joannefaulkner@live.ie
Pay pal adds a 3.5% charge – if you would prefer to bypass the charge please contact me for EFT details and to pay by cheque
Author of “Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking” she operates a Shiatsu Clinic in Dublin. She also runs Chinese Medicine cookery classes, health retreats, and caters holistic events. Call her to book your space on this unique retreat : 086 607 0432 www.joannefaulkner.ie
Fatima Lucia has 17 years experience in various styles of Tai Chi and Qigong and is a fully qualified instructor through the Chinese International Tai Chi and Qigong Association. Her life long studies include many different forms of body awareness disciplines as well as Flamenco dance, which she has performed and taught for over 20 yrs.
Course Schedule 2, 3 & 4 June 2017
Friday
5.00 Check In – you are welcome to come down before check in, have a cuppa and take a walk in the stunning grounds or to the secluded beach
6.00 Supper
- Turkish Lentil Soup
- Healthy Crunchy Coleslaw
- Wholegrain Spelt and Seaweed bread
7.00 Welcome Session
- Introduce the group
- Where is love in your life
- What would your life look like with more love in it
- What are you grateful for
- Set your intention & gifts to altar
- Quality of touch and connection including simple self shiatsu acupressure points
- Tai Chi and Chi Gong Exercises to build a sense of peace, love and calm within the body
- Introduction to Mantra
Saturday
9.00 Breakfast
- Baked Fruit Porridge with dark mixed berries. Oats are a warming tonic for the Qi. They strengthen the Spleen and benefit the nervous system and bones thereby supporting kidney function
- Selection of Breads all of which are baked fresh daily by the Art of Conscious Cooking including Spelt and pumpkin seed, Wheat/gluten free with Sunflower seeds and banana bread.
- Fresh fruit, Yogurt and Honey, Seeds and raisins
10.00 Tai Chi Session with Fatima
Through the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong we cultivate our awareness, sensitivity and balance, which transforms the way we move, stand and interact in all aspects of our life. As we develop and refine these, we can create a state of aliveness – physically, energetically and spiritually.
As you begin to understand Tai Chi, the differences between various forms and movements become merely external. The principles remain the same. Understand this and everything you do becomes Tai Chi. In this way Tai Chi can begin to have a profound effect on every aspect of life.
12.00 Lunch
- Pea Mint and Roasted Garlic Soup
- Beetroot and Feta Salad
- Oat Bran Soda Bread
Free time for napping, reading, walks in the grounds or a swim at the beach
5.00 Conscious Cooking Class with Jo –
Using principles of Chinese Medicine we will discuss specific foods and preparations which help with building blood, detoxing blood and improving blood flow. We will learn recipes for the following dishes
- Herb Tart
- Sweet Potato Falafel
- Arame & Carrot Salad
- Warm Baked Aubergine with Yogurt and Cumin
- Selection of Raw Chocolates including Cherry Bombs, Chia Seed Chocolate Balls, Squidgy Caramel Date Orbs
7.00 Supper
8-9.30 Evening Chi Gong Session with Fatima
Qigong as a concept implies the union of three components:
- Body (proper posture and movement)
- Breath (proper breathing techniques)
- Mind (concentration, meditation and intention)
By combining these 3 dimensions through our Qigong practice we align our body, mind and spirit. From this place of alignment, as our whole being focuses on movement, thought and breath combined, the power of our intention is hugely enhanced. Over time, a thorough Qigong practice can provide profound changes to your entire body-mind composition, returning you to the driver seat of your life and health, ending a cycle of reaction and entering a cycle of creation
Closing the circle with Loving Kindness Meditation and a Heart song with Jo
Sunday
9.00 Breakfast
10.00 Tai Chi with Fatima
11.30 Walking Meditation
12.00 Conscious Cooking Class with Jo
- Shaved Fennel Salad
- Watermelon & Feta Salad
- Pea, Fennel & Herb Rissoto
- Wheat & Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Coulis
1.30 Main Meal
3.00 Closing Ceremony
As this is a bank holiday weekend, there is an option to stay an extra night for €75 which will include accommodation plus evening meal, optional body awareness, meditation and mantra evening session and delicious hearty breakfast the following morning.
Energy of Food Blog, Home
Pancakes , Pancakes, Pancakes everywhere yesterday. I even saw a new 12 pancake challenge on facebook – wow – all that butter, milk and eggs, just for one person; not to worry though as obviously you wont be having any of those ingredients for the next 40 days and 40 nights ……. ? in my experience it is unlikely that an egg or piece of buttered toast wont cross my path before easter.
But it is time for me to shed a few winter pounds and cutting out “Fat Tuesday” foods isnt such a bad thing where the liver is concerned. However dieting alone just brings extra stress and cortisol to the body, the mind becomes over focused and doesn’t see the bigger picture, so understanding the body and an holistic approach is needed to loosing weight.
Maybe you have given something up, standards being chocolate and alcohol. The Liver loves all this and will really thank you for a period of abstinance. Far too often in our Western society we overdo things, binge drinking, 12 pancakes and even easter with its tsunami of chocolate. All of these the liver has to manage and process.
It’s the organ that detoxes and metabolises what we ingest, be that food, drink, tobacco, pollution or medication. In Chinese Medicine this organ relates to the time of spring and regeneration. After a quiet winter we wake up and start to move. The evenings are brighter and the mornings earlier. Sometimes it’s difficult to jump out of bed if the Liver is overloaded so a spring clean at Lent is an opportune time to clear out the Liver and get that Gall Bladder pumping bile.
Clearing out and metabolising fats that have been stored during the winter is important at this time of year. Try cutting out milk, cheese, cream and buttery spreads, replacing with coconut oil for frying or coconut milk in stews and curries. As the variety of fresh fruit and vegetables increases try more salads and raw foods at the table.
Thinly slice corguettes, grate carrots and toss in lemon juice, olive oil and salt as an alternative to the hot, cooked dishes that got us through the winter.
Rather than Lent as being about abstinence and denial, see it as bringing something into your life. New food, new meals and perhaps a new flexible way of thinking. Loosing weight isnt just about cutting calories, its about improving your metabolism, your body and mind functions.
Get that liver working at a stimulating pace. See Lent as a time of adding a few inches to the spring in your step or adding a few years to your length of your life.
Emotional Healing & Community Support
The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.
When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.
You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.
💗 Ready to Join?
Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE
Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.
Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.
Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.
The information provided should not be considered medical advice.
Conscious Cooking - Use Food as Medicine, understanding your body with the 5element system of TCM, Home
Spring is the time of new beginnings and growth. Nothing stops the new green shoots, they are powerful and flexible. This is the life force in our bodies governed by the Liver and Gall Bladder. It is powerful energy for effective action, enabling the unfolding of our life’s purpose. However in our overactive society the Liver/Gall Bladder can become overheated or blocked causing frustration and anger, pain and stagnation. Detox happens in the spring to encourage and support the Liver to regenerate and cleanse, this makes sure that blood flow is even which reduces joint pain and cholesterol as two examples of an unhealthy liver. We will learn easy to cook recipes specifically to improve natural flow and flexibility for these meridians and organs.
On the menu is:
- Thai style Hot and Sour Spring Green Soup
- Mediterranean Caponata
- Anti Inflammatory tea made with fresh Tumeric
- Crispy green sprout salad with Umeboshi plum dressing
- Apple, Rhubarb & Plum Crumble
- Warm Goji Berry Smoothie
- Chrysanthemum Tea
Acupressure Point – Liver 13 (Zhang Men)
Find the soft point under your right ribs—where the ribcage ends before the waist begins.
This is Liver 13, the “Camphorwood Gate.”
Massage or tap gently here using loose fists
It connects the Liver and Spleen, clears stagnation, boosts metabolism, and soothes emotional tension.
If it’s tender, that’s a sign the Liver is stagnant; go gently and breathe warmth into the area.
Repeat daily and feel digestion and mood begin to flow again.
Intermittent Fasting the Chi Flow with Jo Way
Every January, hundreds join the Chi Flow with Jo Intermittent Fasting programme, a six-week reset rooted in TCM, not restriction.
We follow nature’s rhythm:
♥ Eat during daylight, rest digestion at night.
♥ 7–9 am Stomach Time / 9–11 am Spleen Time: best window for breakfast and nourishment.
♥ 1–3 am Liver Time: when the body detoxes, so avoid eating after dinner especially the late-night snacks.
Start simply: no food after 8 pm, breakfast after 8 am.
Each week we lengthen the fasting window gently, giving the organs time to cleanse and reset. It’s a lifestyle of rhythm, not willpower, perfect for sensitive thyroids and tired nervous systems.
👉 Find out more and Join the January 2026 Chi Flow with Jo: Intermittent Fasting Programme
It’s easier when you do it together.
Food as Medicine: Drain Dampness, Fuel Your Fire
Choose foods that support the Liver and Spleen:
For the Liver (flow & fat metabolism):
Sour foods: lemon, lime, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi.
Green & bitter vegetables: kale, watercress, rocket, radish, turnip.
For the Spleen (digestion & sweet cravings):
Warm, cooked meals; porridge, soups, stews.
Avoid cold salads and sugary snacks, especially when stressed.
Traditional TCM Remedy; Adzuki Bean Tea:
Bring soaked Adzuki beans to the boil for 5 minutes and then simmer for 30 minutes, strain, and sip the liquid through the day.
It gently drains dampness, balances blood sugar, and steadies emotions.
👉 Read more on food as medicine and how to make this tea https://joannefaulkner.ie/2022/04/18/clear-cold-damp-fat/
Emotional Healing & Community Support
The weight we carry isn’t just on our hips, it’s in our hearts.
Feeling like you “want to be minded” is your body’s cry for nurture, not discipline.
When you join Chi Flow with Jo, you don’t walk alone.
We move, fast, cook and heal together. That shared energy keeps you accountable and loved through change.
You don’t need to fight your bodyjust listen to her again.
Start with small rhythms: stop eating after 8 pm, massage Liver 13, sip lemon water in the morning, and join our January program to be supported every step of the way.
💗 Ready to Join?
Click here to become a member of Chi Flow with Jo → CLICK HERE
Or drop in for a class and feel it for yourself (sign up below). Join the Chi Flow with Jo community for live sessions, practice, and support.
Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.
Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.
The information provided should not be considered medical advice.
