On the last day of working at Chez Ma Tante the company threw a little post work party. I was quite reserved entering the restaurant on the last day. I told the manager in the middle of the shift that if they wanted me to join the party then I would need twenty uninterrupted minutes in the office by myself. The manager was a bit confused, but didn’t hesitate to allow me the peace I so deeply needed. I could not postpone meditation until after the party, it would be in opposition towards my favorite new tool for life, Transcendental Meditation.
Since taking the Transcendental Meditation course back in December I have meditated twenty minutes twice a day everyday. I signed a waiver that I cannot divulge the intricacies of the practice, so I’ll choose my words very carefully. I’ll tell you what meditation does for me. I wake up in the morning and do the first round. I sit, close my eyes and just start the process, naturally. I was given a mantra by a teacher that I use to help facilitate the practice. What I notice is the way in which everything slows down and comes back to center.
In my late twenties I really struggled with the concept of “better than.” I’m pretty careful when it comes to not sharing too much about meditation. Not because of a lawsuit, rather feeling self conscious about sounding “better than.” If you haven’t meditated before, it’s totally fine. If you have meditated though, you know the last thing on your mind is the idea that you’re “better than.” The practice of meditation is purely about unknotting all of the deeply woven stressors and deactivating yourself from the outside world.
David Lynch, an alumnus of Transcendental Meditation, has a wonderful YouTube video on how it works fundamentally. Click here, David Lynch explains. I love the concept that is widely referenced about your mind being an ocean. On the surface it is turbulent with waves and activity. At the bottom of the ocean, it’s silent, the stillness fosters deep relaxation. What I was meaning to say to the manager on my last night at Chez Ma Tante was, “I’ll be the best version of myself if I can take those twenty minutes.” I am learning that rest, in any form, is where kinetic energy is stored. The body can receive many breaks in the day, but the mind is rarely afforded the same liberties, except with meditation.
Locked away in meditation is the liberation of your mind. You’re aware of the world during meditation, certainly, however meditation says don’t act on it. Nothing during meditation is important. When I give my mind the grace it deserves, it pays me back tenfold. Meditation is a major return on investment. I had this realization the other day that boredom for creativity is like meditation for the mind. Constant stimulation fries your circuitry. Boredom is the blank canvas creativity needs to see in order to answer the call. Meditation is a tool for the mind to go on a vacation for a little bit and truly not worry at all.
If meditating gives the impression that I’m a person who thinks “I’m better than,” well I guess I’ll take it. In a world with a crazy amount of distraction and endless ways to procrastinate, meditation keeps me on track. I don’t always deliver, I fail at hitting my marks and reaching certain goals. It’s all okay though because you’re taught in meditation to take it as it comes.
Citrus Salad with Spicy Olive Vinaigrette
Spare yourself a trip to Sicily with this citrus salad. You should do whatever you want, but I’m saying an energetic salad can lift your spirits and transport to vacation mode. Five different kinds of citrus are necessary for color and striking the right bitter/sour/sweet balance. The fruity character in the olives enmeshes well contributing an umami flare. I consciously desired depth and warmth so the salad doesn’t even come close to “fruit salad.” The vinaigrette alone could be coupled with alternative salads. Please feel free to embellish the salad with pine nuts, pistachios, feta or ricotta salata. Skip the flight and have at it.
Makes one large citrus salad, feeds two.
Ingredients:
1 tsp crushed red chili flakes, ground additionally in mortar and pestle or spice grinder
1/4 tsp fennel seed, ground additionally in mortar and pestle or spice grinder
3T extra virgin olive oil
80g olives, pitted, finely chopped (castelvetrano, taggiasca, or green)
1 tsp orange zest
1T orange juice
1T white balsamic, or other white wine vinegar
5 whole citrus fruits, different varieties, trimmed/peeled, sliced or segmented (mandarin, blood orange, cara cara, grapefruit, pomelo, etc).
1/2 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
8-10 mint leaves, thinly sliced or torn
kosher salt, flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
In a small sauce pan add ground chili and fennel seed with extra virgin olive oil. Bring up to temp over medium heat until fragrant and the appearance is similar to a jacuzzi with the jets turned off, about 2-4 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine chopped olives with the fragrant oil, orange zest, juice, vinegar and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and taste. The dressing should be punchy, warming, and vibrantly acidic.
Assemble the salad by spooning some of the dressing to the base of the plate. Arrange the citrus in a creative way over the dressing. Spoon remaining dressing over the citrus seasoning with a pinch of flakey salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter the thinly shaved fennel over the citrus in an even layer. Finish the assembly with threading around the thinly sliced mint. Season the salad with a touch more flakey salt and some finishing extra virgin olive oil if you have it.
The salad tastes extraordinary when you are mindful to get a robust bite with each ingredient. Pick up the phone, health is calling.
good morning! meditation is key! i do headspace . couldn’t meditate at all before i found it! love the recipe as well! what’s your plan for money now? (none of my biz i know).❤️