MenU; Lore - not Lettuce!

lore

noun  -    a body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person by word of mouth.

One of the unifying and fundamental requirements of life is food. Regardless of how advanced we believe ourselves to be, everything we do through our interactions with the world is about survival and a key component of that is the procurement of vitals.

Unifying in the sense that every living thing has this common need.

However, it is very often because of food that divisions arise; competitiveness, ruthlessness... next week  this will be investigated a little more deeply. Today though, I would like to look at one particular tradition, considered to be at the very least 6000 years in use and some scholars now believe it could be as much as 10-12000, for the oral tradition of Sanskritam is solid and unaltered... there are many ancient palm pages preserved which substantiate this - the Indians were always keen on record keeping!

That is not to say that the understanding has remained the same. It is another part of human nature that a person will do a lot to work things round to suit their own requirements, rather than adhering to strict discipline! It can be very subtle and is very very difficult to avoid.

Take sitting with a group in a restaurant, for example. Sharing a common meal. Someone pipes up that they wish to eat something, and due to being in a group, all agree. The one adherent to Sattvika is now faced with dilemma.  That dish contains food not conducive to discipline. There are, in fact, writings which cover this contingency and permission is there that in social circumstances with no other choice, no sin is incurred; but requires some measure of ‘prayaschitta’ (mental compensation) be made afterwards. Inherent in this is the very basis of what the Catholic church now uses as confessional! (There is much in the Catholic practice which is recognizable as having, perhaps, Eastern influence – the rosary is quite likely an adaptation of either ‘worry beads’ of the Muslim or the Mala of the Hindu, possibly both… but again I digress!)

Okay, so the saadhaka has worked round the dilemma; at least on the practical level. However, in highest spiritual terms there really cannot be any avoidance of the fact that an error has occurred. Choice could have been to simply not partake of that particular dish. At the very highest spiritual level though, it is also found that all is nothing and even error has no place…. Like I said. Top of mountain stuff.  In the hutch of Wild YAM, practicality must out.

What is Sattvika?

……… it is tricky to try and summarise this, for it takes pundits full focus for years to really nail it. More than a simple set of rules, though there are ‘rules’ as with all to do with the Vedas, much of the concept is held within each practitioner and is really more about the relationship with food, than the food itself. Sattvika is one of the त्रिगुणाः /triguna-s, the three main qualities to be found in life.

          तमस् /tamas – mental darkness, heaviness, lust, illusion, error, sloth, ignorance, absolute impurity

         रजस्  /rajas – misty, day, restlessness, confusion, the relative impurity of a layer of dust

         सत्त्व /sattva – simplicity, honesty, clarity, truth, beauty and complete purity.

Each of these does have this definition, however it is very rare indeed to find a single one of the gunas in a person – most particularly Sattva. That is reserved for the God-men of the world. Majority of we struggling beings have all three within us but to varying degrees and balances. Also, within one person, all three may vary according to time of day, circumstance and so on.

You can experience this even now isn’t it? If not already, then at least now you have found yourself thinking about food and whether or not you want to eat – or if you just ate, wondering whether it was the best thing for the body – or ate it knowing it probably wasn’t…  This is not confined to India and Indians you see!!! This is the beauty of the Vedantic philosophy; it truly addresses the personality of being human. No matter the person’s location. What is more, it does not just apply to food but to all aspects of behaviour. If walking down the same street, the Tamaasika will have not much regard for what is under foot or all around him; the Rajaasika will skirt round sticky messy stuff, attempting to keep feet clean, but will perhaps not be so aware of keeping the hands clean; the Saatvika carries or finds the necessary items to keep hands and body fresh as well as weaving the cleanest possible line down that street! Same again can be applied on the mental level when interacting, and still further at the intellectual and of course ultimately at the spiritual level. In fact, the Tamaasika is unlikely to pay much attention to the latter two at all and the Rajaasika will at least pay lip service but dedication will be lacking.

Majority Western culture is held in the T and R states. S is left to the nuns and monks to carry the burden of penance for the rest.

Even those who have adopted vego or vegan lifestyle, unless done through teachings of Sanskritam, are unlikely to have the appropriate frame of mind to actually be attaining a level of Sattva. To be harshly against the eating of meat because of cruelty to animals is certainly Rajaasik, but can be borderline Tamas – because of the amount of anger which is held in the matter.

That is enough of the philosophy for now. Don’t want you glazing over. Not completely anyway &*<>

Now the really interesting stuff; from the Ayurvedic perspective food is medicine. Hunger is a disease condition of the body which is recurring and chronic. The only way to treat that disease is to provide a medicine to calm it. Here’s a cruncher.  The term “you are what you eat” is from the Sanskrit writings. Western nutritional ‘pundits’ have only, in relatively recent times, fully grasped the significance – and of course, now it is ‘new age’ …!!!

How much the disease of hunger affects us depends a lot on whether we predominate in T, R or S. Again you can experiment this directly. At breakfast, you are at your most Sattvik (usually!) and therefore healthy foods are likely to be taken – cereals, fruits and such. By midday that resolve has waned somewhat as energy levels get used. Taking the healthy option from that menu becomes more of a challenge . Mid-arvo, there is very often a need to top up. …and what is that for many folk?  By evening, too tired, too hungry, too everything. Why bother even to cook. Zap a frozen dinner or order pizza.

…do you need to be told by now that this is Tamaasik behaviour?! The Rajaasika will perhaps have maintained virtuousness through till the evening – or will have erred during the day (away from critical eyes) and then will produce a healthy evening meal. Flesh foods, alcohol, drugs/smoking, onions, garlic, mushrooms, fermented foods, stale foods, preserved foods and yeast are key pointers of T foods. Excess of hot, salt, sour pungent foods, stimulants (caffeine!), fried foods, rich foods all feed the R personality. What is required is to balance with the calming, soothing, healing foods of Sattva.

Golly – tricky wickets, eh??? Has it caught your attention? The point of knowing this stuff is to then be able to do something about changing and upping one’s status. In Western format now, that presents as the food pyramid.  … 

continuing next Thursday. Will you drop by?

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES AND IS NOT AT ALL INTENDED AS ANY FORM OF CRITICISM OF A PRACTICE OR TO BE USED IN ANY WAY FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT. ANYONE WISHING TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO THEIR DIET MUST DISCUSS WITH A QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER.

MenoSafe and Sound

sÅv

Sattva - spiritual essence, vitality, courage, existence… (long list!)

The simplest way to describe the sattvika nature is 'pure'.  Every single one of us is born sattvik. Then the sanchita karma kicks in and determines whether we retain that or have to work through our vaasanas in the state of rajas or tamas. Regardless of our current state, if we are not already in a sattva-predominant nature, then we can make efforts to reach there.

What is sattva and why would we want to be it? The sattvika personality knows how to be still, how to be quiet. Sattva is cheerful and accepting, content and unperturbed. It can see the troubles of the world but does not carry them. It moves only when necessary, takes only what is required, seeks to return more than was taken. Sattva is capital 'ell' Love, it is compassion and able to provide a haven for the hurt and needy. Sattva is serene, watchful, has no desire beyond spiritual gain. Sattva is clear about what is "I" and what is not. It knows how to be in the world but not of it. There is detachment and clarity. We can all find a bit of the sattva within us at times, but to be classed as sattva personality, it needs to be instinctively present.

How do we work towards more sattva in our lives? Less careless living; instead, listening to uplifting music, reading fine literature and philosophy, films which carry a message of high human values. Embracing the quiet; appreciating nature, little moments with friends and family, learning to make appropriate boundaries between work and self-time, keeping better company. Taking up self-improvement; be prepared to self-assess without ego, spend time with ourselves to do that, watch for the excuses as to why not…

Then there is the diet;

• These are foods that are nourishing, soothing and help sharpen the mind, making it more aware and active.
• Sattvik foods are vegetarian and eaten in moderate amounts.
• These are foods that are free of chemicals, preservatives, artificial colours and flavours.
• Processed foods generally are to be avoided - these days, there is an argument for the use of frozen items and organic canned goods - but these should be used minimally.
• Organic and fresh fruits and vegetables that have been grown and picked with love. More and more we can source our foods if we don't grow them ourselves.
• Whole grains, such as buckwheat, barley, rice.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Beans and lentils of the lighter variety; butter beans, broad beans, green beans, peas, moong dal, chana dal etc.
• Dairy products like milk and ghee.
• Oils mostly derived from plants; coconut, mustard, sunflower.
• Foods that are not overly sweet; honey or sugar of minimal processing, such as jaggery.
• Spices which are beneficial for the body and mind; turmeric, cardamom, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, fennel, cumin…

Many will read this and say 'oh, that is the government standard for healthy living.' Which is true, many countries now understand the need to eat better quality and less quantity and encourage their citizens to this… but the ayurvedic diet has been around for millennia. Nothing new under the sun!

To be sattvik is to walk upon the earth lightly, to be ahimsa. It is represented in the colour white, in which all colours unify.

MenU; what was I saying..???

This weekly series of food rants began because of a small quibble I had about the availability of good and genuine vegetarian fare. It flowed along from one point to another and became about the general quality and treatment of our food and its production. It has been interesting - but now back to the point.

 The YAMster's needs.

There was a point, earlier in life, where it was easy just to let things slide and fall into the general habits around one. As one grew in conviction and commitments, though, it became easier to fight the tide and adhere to principles.  When returning to the UK, for the early months, not too much fuss was made other than a vague 'vege please' kind of instruction in order to help folk adjust to requirements being different. Since the start of this year though, I have endeavoured to keep at least to strict vego, if not at all times strictly Sattvika. The purchase of separate cookware and alternate preparations of food can cause a bit of a stir.  It's tricky, because there is the risk that folk get a bit 'out of joint' about it. It is actually made more difficult when returning to a place where folk are invested in who you were a quarter century ago and who are not prepared to consider that, just as they will have been, you will have been roasted, stewed, boiled, steamed and generally processed by life and, whilst the basic 'you' is still there, there will also be big differences.

...in fact, folk would remain invested in who they think and/or want you to be, even if you hadn't been absent all that time, just because that's what they want and it has no bearing on who you really are... but that is an entirely separate discussion...

Food is unavoidable. I learned early, with the onset of chronic ailments, that food could greatly affect the body. Even before I turned to studying nutrition formally, my understanding and awareness of these effects was strong. By sheer self-observation it became apparent quite soon that apples were a huge aggravant for the Rheumatoid. I ate a lot of apples as a youngster - we had trees. Gave away apples and straight away, there was a reduction in discomforts. Not long after that I experimented with dropping red meat from the diet as well as hardened cheeses and tomatoes.

All of these at the time (my early 20s) were the basis of my diet. There was little variety. Lo and behold there was significant improvement in the discomforts. Then came The Miracle and for several years, no discomforts. I would interject here that there have been a number of major health issues and not all are solved by diet, but there is no question that it is helpful and supportive.

Studying nutrition when I got to Australia (along with Homoeopathic Medicine and other health studies), a lot of what I learned confirmed experience but also corrected a few things. The inclination to vegetarianism was now getting a boost, mainly for wellbeing reasons, but also, now, for ethical reasons.

Then along came Vedanta (the path of knowledge/philosophy in Sanatana Dharma - what most call 'Hinduism'). Having brushed with the concepts of Ayurveda from the nutritional angle, now there was a much richer and fuller picture building as to the role of food in life. It made a lot of sense. What is more there were 'caveats' which covered things like the taking of dairy and, even, the eating of meat - according to time and place and such like. Won't go into it here - very complicated and requires much context.  However, one of the basic things which struck one is to eat according to heritage. Dairy is such an important part of my ethnic background that to have moved to soy was, actually, not at all a benefit to me.  Returning to full milk and its products, there was again a profound improvement in my general wellbeing. In part, of course, this may have had something to do with the fact that majority soy product is highly genetically modified and the production of milks and tofus and such for the commercial market requires very undesirable processes.....

It has been said aloud more than once, 'sensitive little flower aren't you?' Those who have never had a day's ill health beyond the common cold may well lack the understanding of a body which betrays a person. On many occasions, in order not to have such criticism and judgements weighed upon me, I have over-ridden my principles. Not for a few years now, though. Another prejudice which arises is that of 'if you are vego how come you're fat?'

Common misconception. Weight is another complex issue. Certainly there are things to be done to manage it but being vegetarian is not necessarily one of them. Surprisingly, being vege can mean the opposite, due to the increased amounts of carbohydrate in the diet, just for starters. The point is, there are many factors involved in why one holds body bulk. Not least genetic predisposition to bosoms the size (and weight!) of watermelons. Nothing to be done about those, but they dominate. When you stand a full four feet and ten inches in height, that means there is the perception (due to the angle most folk are standing in relation to one - which is above and looking down) of fatness. Diminutive stature also tends to appear squat if it is anything more than underweight. That said, since menopolyxnaemia hit, there has also been the hormonal shift which ensures that for every pound that once may have been gained, there are now two. Without adding anything to diet.  Further, for the YAMster, is the limited mobility and now, back in Scotland, a return to the diet of such things as biscuits, scones and cakes which were not there for so long.

I don't buy them. When going the rounds of the relos and mates though, out they come, like those weapons of mass destruction I was discussing last week!  Of course I could always say 'no'. Mea culpa.

This week the Father, Macs 2 & 3 and the Maestro will be holidaying up near Oban (an hour's drive North of here). There was mention of a meet-up at a town on the side of Loch Fyne where, Mac2 reported, there are 'several Indian restaurants'... yes m'dear, but not vego!  I was very clear that, from now, I shall be quite picky. I did a little search of Oban. Simple curiosity you understand.  Good grief. There is a Japanese vegan place there. Varied reviews, but hey! It's there!!!

Another hour's drive can take me over to the lovely Isle of Bute and into the main town of Rothesay, where The Musicker serves pure vego foodables. You'll read a bit more about that next week when I relate the second day of adventure out in the Little Ren with Mlle GC.

All in all, then, I am left to my own devices and at home keep it very simple with dahls, roti, rice, veges, lots of soups, and the occasional Linda McCartney snag with mash 'n' peas. I am fond of omelettes and fritattas and stir fry .... and soup (did I say?). Soup is great on these wintry summer days.

I even freeze some of the stuff I cook. Living the single life economically does demand some compromises on the Sattvika principle of nothing older than three hours. Freezing an item within an hour of cooking essentially satisfies that point... it's a slightly warped logic, I grant you, but above all else here, I have to also mind the pennies and as waste is out of the question in this household, freezer-stuffs it is.

Water or tea (mainly herbal, but a couple of cups of good quality black are okay) are my fluids; the occasional carbonated drink when out and about.

There. Think I may have fizzled out (for now) on the food rant. It's time I got back to 'menomoirs' proper, so next Thursday it will be another episode of MacHistory.  Meanwhile here is the fourth-last reminder...

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Menotouring; Showing off The Bonny Land #1

I collected Kay from Gourock, where an airport taxi had brought her; it was already dark and it was rush hour and the YAMster is finding night-driving a little challenging with aging eyes, so this was our agreement. Turned out she had an Indian driver and he was brilliant, knowing the place well and keeping her entertained. Bags were transferred to Little Ren and off we set back to the Hutch via the car ferry. Soup and cheesey tomato rolls were consumed, a bit of introductory chatter and then it was bedtime.

Wednesday morning (only a week ago? seems like 87, we did so much!) a brekky of good ol' Scottish porridge, some fruit, plenty tea; flasks filled, sandwiches for emergencies and bananas plus a toilet roll. Never travel remote roads without a toilet roll. Jus' sayin'.

There was a blanket for Kay added to the packing and then it was all piled into Ren. We were on the road by 0930h. Perfect.

Lochgilphead

An hour round to Inveraray, where toilet break and couple of quick photo snaps for the guest traveller were enjoyed. The heavy showers were squally, but not so horrid as to make driving nasty. A relief, I can tell you. The next goal was to reach Oban - essentially another two hours, but of course we had a couple of stops along the way. It was a road trip after all! My visitor had been planning for this trip for a looooong time and was having to take lots of breaths to believe she was really here at last. There was much ooohing and aaaahing. With each corner, the further North we went, the gasps and squeeees of delight let me know that there was happiness going on!!!

The crabs were alive and moving...

We arrived Oban just before 1400h. Thus turned out to be too late for all the fish and chip outlets - one of the only reasons for stopping there, as it is a major centre of the fishing industry. There was a market stall selling shellfish, but that was not what we had in mind! As you all know, I am a vegetarian, but once a year or so, I may break with sattvika for a decent bit of freshly caught fish. It wasn't to be. This, it turned out later, was in our favour...

Instead we found a little cafe at the ferry terminal which provided just enough refreshment to add to our picnic that we did not go hungry and were revived for the next leg of the trip. We had a long way to travel yet...

LOCAL INFO UNRELATED TO ROAD TRIP; you'll note the name of the little tug. It is the name given to a stretch of water nearby. Every bit as treacherous as the better-known Corryvreckan.  Here's a short vid of the whirlpools in action.

Friday Foodables For MenU

AHA! Something new this way comes. Newish, anyway. Intermittently, I have produced a series of MenU posts, which have generally been well-received. More recently, there were a couple of vids of YAM in the Kitchen. Several folk expressed a desire to see more. My intention is to do more. However, we are into the second month of twelve, and I am not started yet! Mainly I have been blaming the light levels; remember the greys? Mostly, though, it is just that I am usually cooking with the need to feed and tend to forget about turning on the camera!

Sigh...

However, if I start out with at least a monthly offering, I might be able to meet my own deadline. The remit is simply to give you insights into my way of working, what shortcuts I might take, the basics of home-cookery Indian style, and lots of variations and themes on vegetarian eating based upon Sattvika principles. There will be a fair amount of cheap and cheerful stuff too, I have no doubt - and sometimes there will be movies...

Today though, I thought I might share with you some top-notch cookware for use in the microwave. Why? Well, because I do use the nuker quite a bit these days. Mainly due to the fact that to use the conventional oven that sits in the Hutch is to double my 'light' bill immediately. It's a monster-sized, poorly installed item that guzzles...GUZZLES... the power. When I decide to use it, there needs to be multiple stuff going into it. So maybe once a year. As much as possible, I stick to hob meals, but some things do just as well, occasionally better, in the nuker. That includes toasted cheese - there is a grill function on it. When moving into the Hutch, one of our big supermarkets was having a post-Christmas sale, and I got the nuker for a ridiculous price, and it has served me well (despite the disconcerting fact the [electric] clock on it gains time...). It is starting to demonstrate its age, though, with some slightly odd creaks and crackles and a rattle or two. (The same can be said for the bread machine, I fear - and as for the deep fryer - I do like it, but it takes up a lot of space for something I use maybe once a quarter. I'm starting to eye up one of the multifunction instant pot things on the market now... but I digress. A nasty habit that!)

Even if I opt for one of those, I would still replace the nuker. As much as I admire the instapots, nothing beats the convenience or, indeed, the cost-effectiveness of the microwave for quick warm throughs and defrosting and such. The draw on power is much less and lasts considerably less time. I think about this a lot for sustainability matters and, increasingly, for budgetary matters. 

Okay, so what is this fantastic cookware? I had some storage containers from Sistema in OZ... but at that time did not know about this part of their range. They are very high-quality plastics free of the two main nasties and are pretty much lifetime guaranteed.

This is the saute and steam plate. A small casserole size. I use this to "blanch" veges ready for freezing - actually better than doing them in boiling water, as they seem to hold their fibre integrity better this way. I also fully prepare veg for eating - clearly, this size and shape suits things like asparagus, beans, leeks, broccoli. 

I would point out that these items are also fully freezer friendly and can be used as containers for stews or soups or other leftovers to freeze. They can be taken straight from the freezer to the nuker, and you have a meal ready in
a whizz and a bang!

Here we have the egg poacher. Now, I will tell you, if doing only for myself, I will still tend to go the traditional route of pan and water - because I am almost always only going to have one egg. But when I have company or am going the two or more eggs route, this little tray works very well. That said, not all eggs are equal, so one does have to play around with it a bit. I also confess that the cups might make lifting the eggs out quite handy, but I am not convinced they are that much of a boon - I intend to try without them when I get a chance.

I am also going to experiment with using this divided tray for other things...

Now this one is a winner. It can be used with or without the colander insert. This is for your entire steaming situation, and I LOVE it! Without the colander portion, one could make sauces and soups. I am yet to explore that side of things.

We are coming to my most-used items now. These 'noodle bowls' I use for just about everything! They are a standard bowl size, so perfect for one person. I have prepared not just noodles, but veges and soups, and have also baked potatoes in them... which could be done in the other dishes too, it's just that the size of these suits me perfectly.

I have been using nuker rice makers for a long time, but this is far and away the Rolls Royce version! I would need to replace the nuker just for this alone!!!

If not using the four-cup egg poacher or wishing to use a hob pot, this little thing is magic... I can prepare an egg as a whole, and it falls between poached and fried - just right for a nice seed roll for lunch. For brekky, the egg can be scrambled or made into an omelette. I also use this one for heating up my baked beans! 

There you have it my dears, an introduction to some of the equipment in the YAMster's Hutch's Kitchen!!! I shall endeavour to create some dishes showing these in use. 

I know there are those who hold the use of microwaves with some disdain. Be assured, all commercial kitchens and some of the top chefs in the world make use of nukers in one form or other during their food prep. The tech for these, as with so many things has come forward leaps and bounds since the original models. 

D'ya like the new badge to go with this refreshed series? I got tricksy in PixlR 😄

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It's FFF next week already

MenoRvated- Revved Up

rjs!

Rajas - restlessness

In the post on the Gunas, there was a little array of meanings, the last of which was the capitalised 'Virtue". This pertains more specifically to today's subject. The 'trigunas' are often spoken of in Vedanta. The three dominant qualities of the personality, also applied to certain things and their effects upon that personality. They are generally referred to in unison, 'sattva-rajas-tamas'. Due to the flow of the alphabet, today we shall look at the middle of the three. Which is fine, because it is the one which the greater number of folk can identify with.

Let it be said at the outset that we all of us have all three qualities and in any given situation, from one day to the next, we can fluctuate to some degree with how they present. However, there will always be one of the three which is the primary quality of our life. This leads to our being described according to our dominating guna.

Rajas and Tamas may not necessarily be thought of as a virtue, particularly the latter. However, these temperaments are to be considered in relation to one's karma, and anything which provides for our learning may be regarded as a virtue.

What, then, does it mean to be rajasic? The short-form translation gives a good point. It points to the personality who must always be doing something - or being seen to be always doing something. Without rajas as part of our makeup, nothing would get done. It's the get-up-and-go virtue. In its positive aspects, it keeps us keeping on. Rajas needs to be active, and the most obvious activity is to work. Be that housework, career and employment, hobbies, volunteering, pioneering, planning… rajas is on the run. It likes to be involved and has a strong sense of duty. Some amount of rajas is necessary to be goal-oriented and fund the determination to reach that goal. Rajas is the acquisitive personality - what's in it for 'me'; acquire, build, retain.The leaders of the world will all have rajas dominance in their personality if they are to be successful.

What has to be watched, though, is that our rajasik nature doesn't fall into egoism. The trouble with having to act in the world is that we can become attached to it and have expectations of results from our actions. Rajas can become domineering, bullying, demanding. It can have a sense of being always in the right and brook no opposition or countenance any possibility of a different point of view. Rajas can become inflexible and 'kharu'.

Rajas is what most of us see in the transactional part of our lives. Without an element of tamas, the personality can become tiresome and overbearing. Without sattva tempering both those things, there can be no real compassion or softness, no stillness and quietness. Rajas is required to survive in the world, but if it is the dominant guna, the personality bearing it can become worn out, exhausted, sick, depressed. Rajasika-dominant personalities must take care of diet and rest and recreation to balance themselves. There will be a tendency for those of rajasik nature, to 'live fast and play hard'. Their diet is likely to consist of items which boost and stimulate. Major components;

Meat

Alcohol and soda

Caffeine

Garlic and onion

Fried foods

Excess spices, including chilli

Pickles and brewed sauces

Refined sugars

Heavy pulses such as kidney beans, black and green lentils

Heavy vegetables such as potato, broccoli, turnip

None of these things is majorly problematic if one is in full interaction with work and exercise - but of course, it is the usual rule, that moderation is best. Even a sattvika person will take some rajasik foods when in need of a mental and physical boost  (though never meat or alcohol!) For rajas to be useful but not destroying, it needs to be balanced and the best way to do this is to encompass more of the sattva into life.

Rajas is represented by the colour red.

Now then regular readers and lovers of short fiction - remember that next week it is Final Friday Fiction time!!! The Hindertwig Tales will continue - but in keeping with the A-Z.

New readers, if you need a prompt for your "X" post, perhaps this is something for you! See the FFF page under the banner for more info.

Menosukhi Monday

Long-term readers will know that menosukhi is about fond memory, melting heart, a little nostalgia or a soppy happening. It verges just the right side of maudlin, for the YAMster is not an overly emotional being.

Sorting through some piccies last week (trying to come up with something to help the father with the calendar he likes to produce each year), I happened upon a file which had kinda been ignored for a while. Just a few pretty shots in there... but also this.

It struck me with some force that it was already three years and one week since I had left Sandeepany ashram. Crikey. Where did those 1100 days go???

It is rare for me, but there was one of those moments which definitely crossed the line into maudlin and it took a bit of self-management to bring it back to merely menosukhi. It had been such a blessed and focused time, those two plus years in Mumbai. To a large extent, the sattvika life has been maintained. One of the reasons for choosing Scotland's West coast is that it is out of the way and one can simply 'be', without too much of the world invading one's psyche. That said, it is also very difficult to keep it at bay.

When staying with the father, it is hard even to maintain daily prayers and dietary restrictions. Vegetarianism is never lost, but there are certainly more of the processed and 'nonsense' foods here. As mentioned last week, the festival of Navratri has been on the go - today is final night and tomorrow is day of feasting.

The menosukhi deepened the more for not being able to stick to fast and proper foods for the week. This is not to blame the family situation; it is to say that one must work around and with the situation. The simplicity of ashram living has been lost.

Then there is the wondering what is there to show for those three years? Well, perhaps am being a bit hard on myself. The teaching bloggy did get up and running and continues well. That is another box ticked. Further travels; box also ticked. However, these are secondary to the spiritual path and for the personal saadhana, this little review has to face up to the fact that not as much progress has been made as might have been. A little too much Star Trek and not enough astral travel!!! Soon it will be Deepavalli and this will be the time to reset one's spiritual goals. Need to get my list started...

This was the little moment of menosukhi. It is being mended. Thanks for listening.

YAM xx

Menoffagainorrhoea; Suffolk Sojourn Day 5

Tuesday 27th August dawned as it had for all the previous days. Very warm and dry. We had already arranged to meet up with Cx and take off for the coast to a town called Dunwich.

It is rather famous. 

Long-termers among readers here will know that once a year, the YAMster breaks her sattvika diet and partakes of some 'fush and chips'. This was the trigger for the trip. Aitch recommended the fish cafe on Dunwich beach. It proved to be exactly as stated, and I was impressed with the quick service. I opted for whitebait with salad and chips. In the end, I only managed the whitebait because the plate was enough for three people! It was hot, fresh, and delicious. Aitch had battered haddock with her chips and Cx had the cod. We were more than satisfied. However, we didn't linger long at the table because, having sat inside to avoid the direct sun, it proved to be extremely 'fuggy' due to no airflow inside.

The other principal purpose of our trip that day was to find some geocaches. I love these outings, not that I am necessarily all that good in the treasure hunt side (Cx and Aitch are ACES at it), but because they are always in such interesting places - a lot of the time, churchyards, and I do love a good church and yard!

The things we do for 'treasure'

Polish Konik horses (feral/wild) are used for managing the marshes.

Sibton St Peter's church.

Dennington St Mary the Virgin