Do y’all follow Elizabeth Gilbert on instagram? Well, if you are interested in using social media mindfully, she is one of THE top ten people to follow, in my humble opinion. Always inspiring, uplifting, and filled to the brim with approachable wisdom, she shared this magical chai recipe late last fall. I happened to catch it, and I am so, so happy I did. For me, the entire ritual of making and drinking this delicious medicine is a radical act of self care. I crave both- the process and the product.

We shared this recipe with our 14-day reset folks last month, and I can’t think of any reason not to share this healing elixir with ALL of you during these anxious times. For me, this drink is sooo healing on every single level.

SOCIAL DISTANCING DISCLAIMER: I realize you may not all have some of the more exotic ingredients in your armageddon pantry. So, be creative! Skip some of the ingredients, or add other chai spices you may have on hand! In my opinion, the ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, milk, and coconut oil (or ghee) are what makes this truly special. The next time you absolutely MUST go to the store, add some of these to the list… and STAY WELL.

In the exact words of Elizabeth Gilbert:

Bring 3 cups of water to boil.

Add:

• 3 Cinnamon sticks

• 1 to 2 inches of ginger, diced

• 1 teaspoon of cloves, crushed

• 1 teaspoon of whole black pepper, crushed

• About 8 - 10 pods of cardamom, crushed.

Bring it all to a boil, let it simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

• Add 2 black tea bags. (If you like, you can throw a vanilla pod in there at this time, as well. If you want to go really nuts, throw a star anise in there, too. But be careful. Star anise is the beets of spices — it takes over EVERYTHING.) Feel free to use decaf tea, if you are just trying to CALM THE HELL DOWN.

Simmer again for about 5 minutes.

In the bottom of the biggest mug you've got, put a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of turmeric powder, and a tablespoon of coconut oil.

Take a bit of the chai liquid, put in the mug, and whisk it until the honey, turmeric powder, and coconut oil are all blended.

Now fill your giant mug 3/4 of the way with hot strained chai liquid.

Heat up (or froth up) some milk or milk-like substance of your choice. (I go old school, like they do in India, and I always use full-cream cow's milk — but feel free to use whatever milk-like product you like.) Top off the mug with the hot milk, and stir.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Drink that mother down, preferably while reading a good novel.”

Oh, Liz. Thank you. This chai, and you, are the perfect quarantine partners.

Big love to all!

Kendall