This morning, Tuesday, April 14, I was so excited to get outside and into the garden. I spent time on weeding, raking, and general clean-up until about 1:00 pm, at which point I came in and heated up some squash.
Yup, that's butternut squash that I had cooked
over the weekend - with a healthy amount of
butter, because...yum!
As I ate, I was struck by the generosity of nature. This squash, that I grew last year lasted through the winter and well into the spring.
Even as I am cooking and enjoying the end of last year's bounty, I have little seedlings growing for this year!
I am so excited to think about the cycle of planting starting all over again.
Certainly, this is my favorite way to focus on health: by recognizing what and how I am choosing to consume. What better way is there to be mindful of the connection to the food I eat - than by being personally involved and playing a role in the way it's grown, harvested, stored and cooked?
It's not always possible, I know - and yet this is perhaps why taking a moment to express gratitude (or saying a prayer) before eating can elevate the energy of the food and bring us back into an awareness of how we are nourished on many levels: the physical, the mental, the spiritual....
How do you nourish yourself? Do you consider the source of your food and the mental/emotional state of the person who is preparing it for you? Can you feel your body absorbing the nutrients? Do you feel energized or depleted after having eaten?
Just a bit of food for thought. Bon appetit!