“making the effort.”
salad of kale, young coconut meat, cucumber, arame, basil. dressed in olive oil, agave, sea salt, pepper.
For some sad reason, most people don’t seem to think coconuts are worth the effort.
I admit, they are intimidating. They appear rock solid. They require not only a rather enormous knife to pierce, but also enough skill to wield that knife with with several sharp blows. They kind of seem to taunt us with their perfectly pointy tops.
But sometimes, the best food requires a little extra effort. Fresh beans have to be painstakingly shelled; a great soup has to simmer all afternoon. Fresh coconuts need to be beaten and hacked.
I don’t let this additional time and exertion phase me, which is a mindset I think I acquired in yoga. My teacher on Tuesday morning had us doing handstand prep [basically, where you make an L-shape with your body, feet on the wall, hands on the mat. I legitimately suck at this.]. He reminded us to focus on our intention.
In yoga, you set an intention at the beginning of each class. It can be anything, any reason you might have for making it to the studio that day, unrolling your mat, working out your mind and body. I don’t pretend to have dramatic insights as I mull an intention – some days I think deeply about why I am there, while others my intention is simply to sweat. I think sweat is a fine intention, because it is an action that makes me feel good.
When you’re laying on a mat – an hour of practice behind you, breath quivering in your chest, heart rate high but steady, body warm – and your instructor calls out a tough pose, there is always a choice. You can say, “No, I’ve had enough. Give me child’s pose.” [I do this sometimes.] Or, you can muster the energy from wherever it comes and surprise yourself. You can say, “Yes, I will try.” When you are able to do so, the feeling of accomplishment is rather special.
That is how I felt about this salad. I saw the coconut on the shelf at Whole Foods and decided it was a task I could face. Though I knew I would have to work a little harder to get it onto my plate, I made the choice, because I knew the end result would be worth it.
It was a treat, really, and all the more satisfying because of the effort involved. I imagine on that future day when I find myself upside down in yoga, supported by my arm strength in a handstand, I will feel much the same way.
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ahh, how true your words are miss leslie! i always find that the most laborious of meals are the most enjoyable – well, unless i make a major cooking error which does happen from time to time ;)
this reminds me of something similar a yoga teacher told us students once. she explained that existence is the art of finding comfort in an uncomfortable state or place (or yoga pose). this, she claimed, is the art of life. or something like that. i don’t know… at the time, i got it and it totally made sense. sometimes i wish i had a voice recorder in the room to track some of the things these teachers say – it’s always so meaningful yet kind of not at all and sort of wishy-washy, if ya get me? yeah, you do. :)