Spending Life Energy
Yesterday my children and I went to our local Farmer's Market in Winter Harbor, Maine. We saw friends - who farm - and their children, apprentices, interns. We saw folks knitting hand-spun yarn into hats for this coming winter. My kids both wanted their big treat for the day - an artisan-made goats milk bluberry yogurt from Painted Pepper Farm in Steuben. The yogurt is seriously the best yogurt I have ever tried. And I am so incredibly honored and happy to be able to support this local farmer and his young family which includes three children.
I think that supporting local foods, local farms, local families is a part of yogic parenting. I am so psyched to see people working with the land, being with the land, and doing their passion - while honoring the Earth. The farms we support are as local and organic as possible and there are quite a few of them. I came back from our outing $40 lighter in my pocket with so much good food including organic blueberries and 8 ounces of intense-blue blueberry tonic which is made from pressing 3 pounds of organic local wild blueberries, a large glass jar of maple syrup, chard, sweet purple peppers, onions, yogurt, and two wildly happy kids. We managed to shop at Intervale Farm, Mandala Farm, Darthia Farm, and Painted Pepper Farm while talking to each one of the growers themselves - my kids soaking up so much valuable information right along with me.
This was particularly wonderful because right now - in September - we are watching as thousands of young people are heading back to school. Our family, however, has intentionally chosen to let our children self-learn or "unschool" right along with us. We are celebrating our not-back-to-school time right now and getting really excited about watching our children slowly - and at their own pace - unfold and blossom. We're not forcing them to do anything they don't feel is right for their own body-mind-spirit. It is a radical notion to some. It seems so common sense to my husband and I. It is so similar in so many ways to the idea of shopping at Farmer's Market for our food rather than supporting the "local" Super Wal Mart: We're outside on a gorgeous sunny day with a view of the ocean, listening to beautiful homespun music while talking to farmers about the upcoming organic self reliance fair, the Common Ground Country Fair and at the same time we get fresh-picked-from-the-Earth food and sugar-free treats for our children. Sage and Jai put a face to their food; they see the money being exchanged for the vast amount of labor put in by these farmers. They talk to their kids who are growing right alongside of them who benefit from us supporting their family's life's work.
It is pure bliss.
Later last night, my mother asks me - even though she knows exactly how I feel about the subject - "What do you think about the new Super Wal Mart coming in to town?" I feel, for the tenth time that day, that I'm swimming upstream. I'm defending myself and my views. Against what? My mother's opinion of how good for the world Wal Mart is? Yes, I suppose so. I am thinking in this limited way, with this limited view - of the idea that I, my little self, having to convince her of Wal Mart's evils. All the while I know she is just asking me the question to begin with because she wants to point out her view - which is equally valid, at least to her.
I can't begin to explain the deep intuitive feeling of dread and bleakness that comes to mind when I think about Wal Mart. I do not spend my money there, although there was a time when I did. I do not allow my children to walk into Wal Mart and I am so disappointed when I allow one of them to spend time with relatives who then take them to a fast-food chain and buy them synthetic, pre-packaged food from - where?
So, in my heart, I know that this mega-chain is not for me or my family. And neither are chain food restaurants. Neither is school. Neither is sugar.
And so it is, I suppose. This whole process of being with my children, being with our food, being with the limited products we choose to purchase - it is an intentional lifestyle, one that is integral to our yoga.
I'm so curious to hear what others have to say about all of this...about where they choose to send their life energy in the form of money. Is it necessary to be mindful in all interactions - even the ones where we're buying things - to be living our yoga? Or can we spend without thinking about who is profiting, about who is suffering, about whose business is going out of business? It feels right to be connected, in the most visceral sense possible, to all that we choose to welcome into our lives, our bodies, our homes.
So, I am in a questioning mode today - knowing there might not be an answer to these questions. But open to hearing and allowing the truth to filter in, moment by moment.
I think that supporting local foods, local farms, local families is a part of yogic parenting. I am so psyched to see people working with the land, being with the land, and doing their passion - while honoring the Earth. The farms we support are as local and organic as possible and there are quite a few of them. I came back from our outing $40 lighter in my pocket with so much good food including organic blueberries and 8 ounces of intense-blue blueberry tonic which is made from pressing 3 pounds of organic local wild blueberries, a large glass jar of maple syrup, chard, sweet purple peppers, onions, yogurt, and two wildly happy kids. We managed to shop at Intervale Farm, Mandala Farm, Darthia Farm, and Painted Pepper Farm while talking to each one of the growers themselves - my kids soaking up so much valuable information right along with me.
This was particularly wonderful because right now - in September - we are watching as thousands of young people are heading back to school. Our family, however, has intentionally chosen to let our children self-learn or "unschool" right along with us. We are celebrating our not-back-to-school time right now and getting really excited about watching our children slowly - and at their own pace - unfold and blossom. We're not forcing them to do anything they don't feel is right for their own body-mind-spirit. It is a radical notion to some. It seems so common sense to my husband and I. It is so similar in so many ways to the idea of shopping at Farmer's Market for our food rather than supporting the "local" Super Wal Mart: We're outside on a gorgeous sunny day with a view of the ocean, listening to beautiful homespun music while talking to farmers about the upcoming organic self reliance fair, the Common Ground Country Fair and at the same time we get fresh-picked-from-the-Earth food and sugar-free treats for our children. Sage and Jai put a face to their food; they see the money being exchanged for the vast amount of labor put in by these farmers. They talk to their kids who are growing right alongside of them who benefit from us supporting their family's life's work.
It is pure bliss.
Later last night, my mother asks me - even though she knows exactly how I feel about the subject - "What do you think about the new Super Wal Mart coming in to town?" I feel, for the tenth time that day, that I'm swimming upstream. I'm defending myself and my views. Against what? My mother's opinion of how good for the world Wal Mart is? Yes, I suppose so. I am thinking in this limited way, with this limited view - of the idea that I, my little self, having to convince her of Wal Mart's evils. All the while I know she is just asking me the question to begin with because she wants to point out her view - which is equally valid, at least to her.
I can't begin to explain the deep intuitive feeling of dread and bleakness that comes to mind when I think about Wal Mart. I do not spend my money there, although there was a time when I did. I do not allow my children to walk into Wal Mart and I am so disappointed when I allow one of them to spend time with relatives who then take them to a fast-food chain and buy them synthetic, pre-packaged food from - where?
So, in my heart, I know that this mega-chain is not for me or my family. And neither are chain food restaurants. Neither is school. Neither is sugar.
And so it is, I suppose. This whole process of being with my children, being with our food, being with the limited products we choose to purchase - it is an intentional lifestyle, one that is integral to our yoga.
I'm so curious to hear what others have to say about all of this...about where they choose to send their life energy in the form of money. Is it necessary to be mindful in all interactions - even the ones where we're buying things - to be living our yoga? Or can we spend without thinking about who is profiting, about who is suffering, about whose business is going out of business? It feels right to be connected, in the most visceral sense possible, to all that we choose to welcome into our lives, our bodies, our homes.
So, I am in a questioning mode today - knowing there might not be an answer to these questions. But open to hearing and allowing the truth to filter in, moment by moment.
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