I am enough.
A Memorial Day message to close out Mental Health Awareness Month. Plus some yummy BBQ recipes and sides.
“Santosha.”
That was the Sanskrit word of the week my friend and yoga teacher Lori shared with us in our yoga class this past week.
Santosha translates to “contentment,” “satisfaction,” or “acceptance”. It means being content—not necessarily happy or sad, just content with who you are and where you are right now in the present. It means: I am enough.
I thought it was a fitting word given what happened last week—and it being Memorial Day today, and the last week of Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
After a little over a year of more intense yoga practice, therapy and some recent reflection on my own parenting goals, I now understand that some of the problematic behaviors, pain and trauma passed down to me that I was guilty of reproducing wasn’t necessarily intentional. It was inherited. They were survival patterns passed from one generation to another. Including from grandparents who served in World War II.
I’ll talk about this more in later newsletters, but in an effort to keep this light on what is a nice family and BBQ day, I just want to reiterate how much this healing journey for me—and many of us—can and really should include cooking!
Mindful cooking. Nourishing food. Slowing down. Gathering around the table. Learning new skills. Feeding people with love. Food alone can’t heal trauma. But it can absolutely be part of healing. Just like with therapy, yoga and other sports and activities, cooking and meal prep takes practice, repetition, awareness and the willingness to keep trying after setbacks.
We just have to give ourselves some grace and remember that Sanskrit word—“Santosha.”
BBQs and grilling outside with friends and family give Harvey and I a ton of joy, especially when the weather is nice out. In The Weekly Plan newsletter yesterday I shared his famous tomahawk steak recipe, so I’m sharing it here now too! He’s really perfected it over many years of recreating a steakhouse at hour house. If you want to receive these weekly meal plans with recipes, no-cook recipes and a shopping list subscribe here:
Our friends Justin and Molly came over yesterday so I’m also sharing Chef Justin’s Melted Tomatoes and Cuke Salad side recipes. The savoriness of the tomatoes pairs really well with steak and the cucumbers lighten everything up.
Last night I also made my Beach House Cheesy Potatoes from my Lake Michigan Cottage Cookbook because you just pile it all in a casserole dish ahead of time and just pop it in the oven and leave it alone for an hour until it comes out all bubbly and cheesy. The raw potatoes simmer in the cream in the oven, basically. It’s not exactly a “light” dish, but it’s very soul-nourishing and comforting for our happiness healing journey, lol!
What are your favorite healing and happy foods? Let me know, I can share more recipes and make new ones!
