Sustainability | Making a commitment to going deeper . . .
With all the challenges the past year and a half has contained, I’ve gotten a little attached to my “comforts”. Anyone else? Understandable. The ways that we comfort ourselves are a form of self-care, keeping us feeling safe and cozy, when everything else feels out of control, but they can also be inhibitors for moving toward our deepest heart’s intention. The truth is, everything is ALWAYS out of control, it’s just that the intensity has been turned up lately, and we have a choice to cozy up with comfort foods and distractions, or to show up for ourselves and each other in a new way. Real change is often simple, but not easy. But as the summer heats up into Pitta season, it’s a good time to start shedding layers, give up what’s clogging the system, and give ourselves to the fire of summer’s transformation.
What are the things you’re telling yourself about how you want to be in the world? How you want to show up for yourself? How you know you need to nourish yourself? What if you actually listened and responded with action?
Today at the farm over morning tea & coffee, we had a moment of clarity that we have the potential to seize our power to take action on the things we’ve been telling ourselves and each other for a long time now. The truth is, this insight is the culmination of many months, and really years, of working toward a lifestyle of sustainability. Day by day, drop by drop, we’ve been working toward sustainability - in all aspects of our life.
Today we start with food - “let’s eat only what we can grow on the farm.” Yes, let’s do it.
Let’s recognize our patterns and habits of consumption from grocery stores and restaurants of food that is convenient, packaged, quick to prepare, made by someone else, and not easily digested, and let’s try something different. Just one step at a time. One meal at a time. One calming breath at a time. One new recipe at a time. One new process and routine at a time.
Today - I see that we have KALE. We have a LOT of kale. When I slow down, how can I start to see kale as an ally, a food medicine, and an abundant resource?
Kale is super nutrient-rich, versatile and very easy to grow. Ayurveda tells us that kale is good during all seasons when prepared correctly for digestion, and supportive in all phases of menstruation. Today, I found a simple recipe from one of my favorite resources, Hale Pule, for simple Cooked Greens, which I’ll make for dinner tonight with kale, beet greens and bok choi, alongside some basmati rice, lentils and sweet potato, with some steamed beets and a little bit of cultured veggies.
Although it’s hard when we’ve worked all day and we’re tired and hungry not to consume a large, filling dinner, it’s best to eat a light dinner of foods that will digest well about 3 hours before going to sleep. This is one of the most challenging things for us, as the habit to work hard until dark and eat while zoning out in front of the tv is well ingrained. But slowly, we choose different - a new path.
We want to see what’s possible when we choose to walk to the other side of our comfort zones, to discern what is nutrients from what is waste, what is harmful in subtle or dramatic ways, and begin to create deeper grooves on the path of self-care. One step at a time . . .
Today we begin our 40-Day Challenge to “Eat (only) What We Farm”.
They say it takes 40 days to create a new habit, so here we go! We’ll send updates along the way so you can keep up with how it goes, and all the inspiration we find along the way. YOU - our community - are our motivation and our support.
always in gratitude,
jen