By Lisa Lin, BA, HHPR
About a year ago I was attending a workshop and before a meal, we were asked to give thanks to the earth that grew our food, the farmers that tilled the soil, the market that sold the food, the cooks who prepared it and the good company whom which we were sharing it with. It had been sometime since I stopped and looked at how I receive the food that heals and nourishes my body and mind. I have studied culinary nutrition and learned about wholefoods, plant rich dietary habits, harvested from sustainable farms and can include ethically sourced meat and fish products. I am generally a conscious consumer of where my food comes from. This moment of gratitude though led me to stop and look at how much energy is put forth by the earth and by a whole community of people to bring food to my table. Think of rich, red beets, and curly, defiant green stems of kale, trimmed meats and get a feel for all the steps it took for the food to be presented to your belly! I can assure you dear reader, that your gratitude will deepen when you sit with that thought for a moment.
Health and Wellness NW Calgary
The choices we make as individuals create a ripple effect in our communities. This week my daughters’ school is celebrating Earth Day and is conducting an assembly and presentations by the students to show regard and gratitude for what a healthy, loved earth does for us each day. They have been learning about “reduce, reuse, recycle” since preschool. I am so glad my children are growing up in a community conscious of teaching children choices and implications in how they impact others and the earth they live on.
5 Things You Can Do to Celebrate Earth Day
- Eat an organic, plant rich meal and sit a moment with gratitude and reflection for where it came from.
- Take a moment to be outside and feel the power of nature – how deep the roots of the trees go, the wind in the grasses, rain pattering on a rooftop, a fresh spring bud on a tree.
- Imagine summertime outside as a child, kicking a ball in the grass, ignoring pesky mosquitos, playing in a lake, running through a sprinkler, climbing on a jungle gym in the playground.
- Taking out the garbage – is there something there that belongs in the recycling bin?
- Conserve water, don’t let your car idle, take and use only what you need in a day.
Most important – enjoy every moment of it! And feel the blessings bestowed on you in a single moment of a single day, simply by being able to live on this beautiful planet of ours. Treasure it and have a wonderful day!
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