May is here, spring is fully sprung in northern California, and here we all are in still in a state of uncertainty regarding public health and what we can all do about it. Our lives have been set upon a new trajectory. The inevitability of change is right in our face, isn't it?
Just in time to help us move with positive action into the new season is the MIndful Eating Film Festival that just got underway.
Organized by my friends and colleagues Miyoko Schinner, Cammy Schinner, Dave Osborn, and the team at Rancho Compasion farmed animal sanctuary in California, this event was initially planned as a LIVE event in Marin County near San Francisco. Then - well, you know what happened. And rather than abandon the plan, the team took this one
online.
For the next several weeks there are streamed films and lecture/discussion presentations. You will see the full lineup of events on the Mindful Eating Film Festival page here, where registration for these events takes place.
On Sunday, May 3, cardiologist Dr. Joseph Sky will be presenting:
Dr. Joseph Sky was raised in in a community closely connected to one of the Blue Zones areas and graduated from the only medical school located in a Blue Zone. Lt Col (Dr) Joseph Sky is a cardiologist in the U.S. Air Force and his passion is finding and working with patients willing to use diet and lifestyle as medicine. He believes the science now clearly shows the value of preventive cardiology, complementary medicine and whole person care
which includes the community in which we live.
Dr. Sky's presentation will focus on the connection between the Coronavirus pandemic and animal agriculture, and the significance of a plant-based diet.
Yours truly is scheduled to present at the festival on May 31. Here is a description of my presentation:
Eating mindfully: How to stop stress eating and snacking with mindfulness meditation practice
Have you ever experienced mindless snacking? Been troubled by stress eating? Is there ever a mismatch between what you plan to put on your plate and what ends up there?
Perhaps our turbulent times have inspired the reappearance of a challenging relationship with food, or given rise to one you never had before.
Mindfulness practice gets under the surface of troubling behaviors. Come away with specific tools you can immediately apply so you can experience more freedom and happiness around food.
You will need to register for each speaker as online seating is limited by the software. More about the Film Festival, upcoming speakers and films being added on the signup page here:
If the link doesn't work in your browser, you can simply copy and paste the URL address into your browser address window:
https://www.ranchocompasion.org/mindful-eating-film-and-food-festival/#register-id
By the way, Miyoko - of Miyoko's kitchen fame - has been doing a LIVE hour long cooking show from her kitchen every week day since the stay-at-home order began. She's made everything from veggie meatballs to pasta to bread to salads to stir-fries to appetizers to seitan...well, if you happen to have access to facebook you can see for yourself as all of her shows are archived on Miyoko's Creamery Facebook page. Things get underway again on Monday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time when you can tune in live. If I can't make it live I will watch her show later in the day or next morning when I get a chance.
Book #4?!
And in other news, here is a delightful development.
I have been asked by Penguin/Random House Publishers to revise and update a book on Mindfulness for their new Conscious Care series.
I am already a month into the project and am really happy about how it is coming together and completely honored and happy that I was asked to do this work. Scheduled for release in spring 2021, this stay-at-home stay lifestyle ordained by our health emergency is actually perfect for an author working on a book. I will keep you posted on things as they develop.
Other than that, we have been very busy putting in the vegetable garden that I haven't been able to grow for several decades as we have been living deep in the piney woods. But our new property has, in addition to a beautiful stand of wise old oaks, a large sunny meadow that I swear gets full sun a good nine hours a day.
The tomato plants are already almost two feet high and last night we had swiss chard and kale (see first harvest photo below) in our pasta stir fry for dinner! The resurgence in the delights of the kitchen and the joy of cooking that started for me with the Paradise fire over two years ago continues, and my husband is the lucky benefactor. Right now I am marinating mushrooms and onions in a marinade with fresh rosemary and oregano from the garden to put
on our homemade pizza, soon to be fired up on the pizza stone.
More about my garden and the new book next time!
Thinking of you with love,
Lani
