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archive: reflections: my voice  Dining Leisurely: A practice! November 2007 Recently I had the pleasure of gathering some of my girlfriends to come and dine leisurely at my home, and the experience was both simple and profound. It reminds me of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book “The Miracle of Mindfulness!” in which he reminds us “When washing dishes, wash dishes; when sweeping the floor, sweep the floor; when walking, walk…” and so on. Be present and do one thing, not many. The dining leisurely gathering was inspired by my recent trip to Italy and France where people take at least an hour if not two to eat lunch, to spend time with friends and to taste and savor their food. Not only do they relish their fresh salads, and their tartes aux pommes, they savor the whole experience. Beauty, sensuality and savoring life are values at the top of their list. In Europe, I noticed the simplicity and the complexity in my dining experiences, and that was what I wanted to recreate here. So as I prepared for my gathering, each act became an offering to my friends. An offering of love and presence by the simple acts of cleaning my house, setting a beautiful table, preparing the menu, buying the food, arranging the flowers, cooking the food. As I prepared that morning I noticed the steady flow of my energy as I rolled out the pastry dough, cut the onions, prepped the tomatoes. Thich Nhat Hanh’s voice was with me “when chopping, chop; when washing; wash.” The tendency to get ahead of myself hovered in my stomach, but instead of rushing I kept breathing and offering. I had barely finished drying my hair when the first person arrived. There was still a pile of uncut fish on the counter, and hors d’oervres to be made. She slipped into my house and lent a helping hand and the rhythm of enjoyment seeped into the day. The doorbell rang again and three friends, all in their burnt orange wraps, like they’d called each other to coordinate, came in…an overflowing exuberance erupted. When all had arrived, we communed in the kitchen, popped the champagne bottles, poured tea, opened the wine, ate the salmon and goat cheese tidbits. An hour later we were sitting at the table, blessing the food and the gathering, grateful to be together and to have time to be leisurely. It was five o’clock when the last guest left after much laughter, great conversations and three courses in our bellies. We had dined leisurely. We had taken time to be with each other. It’s so simple. Be here now… So, as Thanksgiving Day comes this week, take the time to be present with your friends and family. Take the time to be grateful for your life and those who touch it. Offer them prayers of gratitude. Generosity begins in our hearts and the energetic vibration casts a wide ring. In thanks, I want to thank my husband, Erez, for his love, support and encouragement along my life path, my family and friends who love and support me, my teachers and students who inspire me, and my cats who amaze me with their authenticity. Blessings to you all. Namaste, Diane |
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