Similar Posts

  • | | | | |

    Observing Another Storm Pass without Raining (and a moment of truth)

    ByElizabeth

    The third front in a row.  It is starting to be a long while not to rain in the summer.  It is a tough gardening year:  extreme drought conditions all winter, overly cool and wet spring, now no rain again.

    Watching how the erratic weather patterns are impacting my garden, I am reminded that I am not a purist about gardening or food or my impact on the earth.   As much as I enjoy tending my garden and eating its fruits, there is no hesitation in my mind that if my garden does not produce, I will buy more food at the farmers’ market.  If the pickings are slim at the farmers’ market because of local conditions, I am in no doubt that I will buy food from whatever source, even if I try to make sure it is first local, then humanely picked, then organic.

    When I write about gardening and eating and yoga, I am sharing what I enjoy, what makes me feel healthy.  I do not think of myself as trying to set an example.  In some senses, my yoga practice is similarly about what works for me personally and no more.  The yoga teachings are fairly clear that the design and purpose of aligning with the subtle energies, including living in a more peaceful, less destructive way, is for the enlightenment of the individual practitioner and not for “making the world a better place.”  If by seeking to live in a healthier, more aligned, more peaceful and compassionate way ourselves also brings more global benefits, that is a bonus.

    Looking at our lives from this perspective could cause discouragement.  I hear this question all the time:  “why should I change what I am doing [consuming/eating/driving]?  My behavior is not going to change the world when there are all of those billions not changing.”  In some senses, looking at shifting our behavior from a completely selfish perspective makes it more accessible and meaningful.  If we see our choices having the possibility of making ourselves healthier, happier, and more at peace with ourselves and the world around us, why would we not want to try to live more consciously?

  • | | | |

    “Remember Thich Nhat Hanh”

    ByElizabeth

    My boss with whom I’ve worked for over 20 years and who has an unfortunate tendency to get agitated (gentle understatement here) at the workplace has just discovered Thich Nhat Hanh.  My boss was intrigued by Thich Nhat Hanh’s suggestion that when you find yourself getting angry, “don’t.”  Knowing that he is still going to have to take action in response to the things that tick him off (and, as I would add, that not getting angry is distinct from disengaging, failing to act, or being apathetic), my boss still invited us to say to him when we see him getting worked up, “remember Thich Nhat Hanh.”   I liked that.  I like that he recognizes a need to change and grow and is starting to take steps after years of appearing not to be aware of the impact of his tendencies on himself and his co-workers.

    One of the best ways I know to shift our reactiveness is to develop a steady meditation practice.  If you don’t already have one, I invite you to begin to develop a daily meditation practice, which could include conscious breathing or visualizations.  If your practice is only sporadic, notice how much better it is when your meditation is part of your daily routine.

  • | | |

    Winter Gardening Fun

    ByElizabeth

    image

    It was a day of meetings and conversations and emails.  I’m in the middle of a major project, and it feels demanding.  I’m being careful to take good care of myself.

    On the walk home, just as the last glimmers of daylight were fading, I could feel the temperature dropping.  Any last warmth was being blown away by the wind.  I was bundled up and had my computer with me with the intention of working from home.  The sky was like a black opal–dark blue-grays with fiery orange streaks.  The walk (chanting the Maha mrityunjaya mantra for some of the way) shifted me out of work mode.

    I came home to my newest gardening venture. The worms will arrive separately; they will be held for me at the post office to keep them out of the cold.

    Experienced vermicomposters, please feel freee to post your favorite tips for happy, healthy, hungry worms.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.