We ate little at Ramana Maharshi’s ashram: certainly little compared to the standard American Diet. Steamed, fermented rice cake (which I grew to adore and now make at home); a splash of some pulse – a lentil or a dal; a dusting of some spice, poured over a plate of sewn leaves. That was breakfast, that was lunch. I think it was dinner, too, or something similar.

It was wonderful. I have never been overweight, and yet the weight of all those calories flowing through me was palpable in its sudden absence. My mind was lighter (yes, India and jet-lag had something to do with that; but the affects continued for a month at least), and my physical frame was lighter.

Mid-afternoon, the water and meditation and movement began to be eroded by pure and simple hunger. The body wanted fuel. Every day at 4pm, the visitors and inhabitants of Ramanasramam would gather in the dining hall, sit on the polished granite floor — as we did for each meal — and enjoyed a tall metal cup full of fresh milk chai.

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When we are not aware of our actions, we respond so violently. It’s as though you were to startle a sleeper, and in their slumber they swung out! with both fists and feet flying to keep you, intruder, away. When we are not familiar with hunger, it is so easy to equate it with death. Something dire is happening. Our untrained body doesn’t know how to interpret the “gnawing sensation”, the mind panics, the mouth says “Man, I am starving“… Starving! Look at that word, and look at your fattened frame!

I have fasted before, numerous times, as much for a spiritual connection as for simple body science: what is this thing without food? If I know I am well-fed, how do I modify the sensation of lack? How do I work with the thoughts that clamber around it? Does the feeling pass? What are the physical mechanisms involved?

So I felt hunger, not panic. And found the most delightful surprise: a single cup of fresh organic milk chai, mid afternoon, satisfied all my hungers (physical, emotional, mental) for the rest of the afternoon, until the light evening meal arrived before me, and I so filled with gratitude…!

I make chai at home now, grinding fresh spices in what would have been a coffee-grinder (in my own physiology, coffee the unspirited jolt of caffeine to slap you awake), adding ginger and green tea, and cooking it up in a simple french press. Just add Rice Milk (a current favorite) or organic whole milk, if you want to taste what the ashram so gracefully offered.

Here’s my recipe:

Spice Blend (makes 4-5 c)
Fresh spices make all the difference – both to the finished chai and to your pleasure preparing it. Use your electric coffee grinder to prepare them – if you also grind coffee, make sure you wipe it clean first. Grind in pulses, and just enough to “open” the spices, not to powder them:

• 7 pods green cardamom
• 7 cloves (more “vital”), or 3 whole star anise (lighter flavor)
• 5-10 peppercorns
• 1/2 stick cinnamon

Brewing the Base
Add an equal amount of loose leaf black tea (can be decaf), or a little less of the powdered tea from teabags, and pour the dry ingredients into a french press (if you have one), or a saucepan (if you don’t). Add two or three quarter-sized slices of peeled, fresh ginger and three cups of boiling water and let steep for several minutes – the longer you steep, the stronger the flavor.

My quick morning method of making my chai calls for a microwave: pour a small or large cup 2/3 full with ricemilk (current non-dairy favorite), soymilk (a little beany, but lots of protein to keep you going through your day), or organic 2% or whole milk. Add a little sweetener if you wish – agave nectar, brown rice syrup, or some milled sugar are my favorites – and heat on high for a minute.

When the tea base has steeped “enough”, or your patience has run out (whichever comes first), press the tea down in the french press, or strain it from the saucepan, and fill your cup!

Makes several servings for yourself, or half as many for a guest – but with at least twice the pleasure. Yum!

Alternative Brewing
As a more traditional method, Jen Truppner puts all of the spices and the ginger whole into a saucepan, adds milk or non-dairy equivalent, and heats it over medium heat til hot. She keeps this “stock” brewing for a few days, adding more liquid to keep the pot full, and straining out a cup whenever she wishes. You could park your pot in the fridge overnight to slow down the spicing.

You can vary the amounts and the spices as you wish. Jen uses a bit of black cardamom as well (quite a strong flavor, but adds a unique flourish to the brew). Others remove or add spices that detract or tempt them, perhaps adding a touch of fenugreek, or nutmeg, or coriander. I heard of an alternative recipe which uses powdered flax seed for the liquid base, and a teaspoon of garam masala for the spices.

With so many wonderful, complementary spices to choose from, there is little to limit the imagination of your palate. Enjoy!

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