What does this mean ‘in balance with nature’? I always like to use the example of broccoli. Most people only use the outer part of the broccoli, in Holland we like to call them ‘the roses’. The other part of the broccoli, the sticks so to speak, are always thrown away like trash. As if those are not eatable. I really don’t know were this habit is coming from, though I used to do it myself too! Until I got this whole knew attitude towards nature and food many years ago. I learned to see every part of the plant as useful. The sticks of broccoli I find them the best part of the plant now, it is so delicious to slice them into thin pieces and use them for a wok-dish or upma. You can also make a really nice soup out of them or a puree with potato and other veggies.
Like this, there are many more unexpected nice ideas with parts of veggies that we usually throw away. Take the green leaves of carrots; perfect to make soup or broth! I never peel fruits anymore; the skin is most nutritious, it gives us strength and protection, like it did for the fruits too. I make limonade from the water in which the pumpkin was boiled. From the left-overs after cutting a pineapple I make the most delicious limonade ever, boiling them with some ginger and cinnamon. And did you know that you can make a perfect detox tea after boiling your artichoke with some lemon in water? When you put some honey afterwards and let it cool down you make the best ice-tea you’ve had in your entire life! And it is a very good anti inflammatory and antioxidant. There is so much more to mother nature than we know off nowadays.
Living the Sattvic Yoga Lifestyle means that you consider every bit of energy or prana that you get from nature and the elements as part of the Divine Aspect of life. All energy is borrowed. You give energy back by doing work and acts of love for other persons and nature. One of those good acts is to treat nature with respect and try to waste as little as possible. When you have left-overs you can better use them or give them to people who have less. Once you start doing this, you see that you’ll get small ‘rewards’ back in life, in other ways… unexpected ways ;).
Happy Day!
YOGA LIFESTYLE 