Kale Salad

I went to a day-long retreat with Shinzen Young on Saturday. At lunch, a friend and i went to a vegan restaurant, and i ordered Baked Kale Salad.

Kale leaves, halfway to becoming kale chips--sort of crispy, sort of leafy--were served with caramelized onions, sliced tomatoes, and a lovely dressing. Delicious! I made my own version for dinner last night.

We know kale is good for us. We know meditation is good for us. "Raw kale salad is too chewy," one friend complained. Our mind is busy, sometimes really busy, chewing things over when we sit down in meditation and notice just how noisy it is.

We have our strategies for getting away from the mind: add more noise--music, TV, movies--some form of entertainment. We have our strategies for getting away from kale: ignore it.

Only when we stop ignoring the mind does it begin to quiet down. Our mind is like an insistent 3-year-old--it wants to tell us something. And we are tired, tired, tired of it.

Pay attention to the mind with mindfulness. Accept those repetitious thoughts with kindness. This is best done on the cushion, while having your "noisy" meditation. But you can notice the mind while you're eating kale salad too.