Mindful Origami

It’s Thoughtful Thursday. A time to take a break, breathe and relax.

One way to do this is through activities that encourage mindful thoughts and behaviors. Origami is a great way to calm the mind and engage in a tranquil movement. Origami is the ancient and traditional Japanese art of paper folding popularized in the 17th century. The folding of paper into artistic designs is a form of active meditation; the concentration on the art and the letting go of bothersome thought allows for mindfulness.

Here is a design common in origami practice:

 The crane in Japanese culture is a national treasure and appears in literature, art and folk tales. It is also associated with good fortune and longevity because legend says that the crane lives up to a thousand years.

Mindfulness is a tool we can all use in every day life. Maybe this form of active meditation is the perfect mindfulness fit for you!

Good Happens.

Pay It Forward!

Discover Your Strength

“If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”

- Masaru Emoto, The Secret Life Of Water 

Good Happens.

Pay It Forward!

Good Food Happens.

In his workshop, “Artful Eating,” Orange County Museum of Art‘s very own Jeff Venier, M.F.A. leads the group in a drawing exercise based on the techniques of the old masters.  This art class, though technical, is also designed to be a means of practicing mindfulness.  Appreciating the beauty of our food leads to a richer, and more mindful eating experience, and can give us time to think about where our food comes from, what form it takes.  Before sitting down to draw, Jeff leads the group in touring the Irvine Farmer’s Market to gather the ingredients for their still life (and their lunch!).

Jeff’s workshops always feature exciting new recipes, sure to broaden your knowledge of delicious ingredients.  Past recipes have included:  Black and Brown sweet rice salad with Eggplant and Tomatoes with Pecorino, and Beet and Carrot Asian remoulade.

The hands on cooking portion (utilizing elements from the still life) of the class has been a favorite aspect of the class for adults and children alike.  Jeff transforms cooking from being a chore to something fun and joyful.

The shared meal is the finale of the class.  Not only does the food taste amazing, but eating feels different after so much time spent studying, appreciating, arranging, and working with the food.  ”Artful Eating” seems to refer not only to the practice of combining drawing and cooking, but to a transformed way of nourishing our bodies and minds.

Wondering what to do now that your mouth is watering?  Start by making sure you don’t miss Cheff Jeff’s last Artful Eating workshop:

this Saturday

August 28th

(class starts promptly at 11:30, ends at 2:30)

Reserve your place now!

And, check out Jeff’s Food Blog to see photos and find recipes for more of his out-of-this-world (homemade) cuisine.

Good (and good food!) Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

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The typical carrot travels 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table.

Transportation, refrigeration, processing and packaging associated with the trip are major sources of air and water pollution – which can be mediated when you support your local farmers OR grow your own fruits and veggies! Info Courtesy of the Ecology Center.

Photo Courtesy of The Ecology Center

The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano has great programs and resources to help us find and create our own sustainable food sources!  Don’t miss “Sprouting” this Saturday at 1pm in the Center for Living Peace’s north wing!

Not just sustainable for the environment, but for the human body as well, sprouts are sources of all the nutrients essential for physical well-being:

digestible energy

bioavailable vitamins and minerals (like A, E, C and B complex)

amino acids and proteins

Because vitamins are extremely perishable, freshness is key, and you can’t get any fresher than harvesting from your own kitchen!  Sprouts also yield higher amounts of vitamins compared to mature plants, some say as much as 30 times higher!  Read more about sprouts and click here for program details!

The Ecology Center’s programming at the Center for Living Peace is reliably awesome.  Watch this clip from their previous class on Terrarium making!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

Permalink: http://centerforlivingpeace.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/378/