This month is my blogiversary. What better time to look back to when it started and to offer you a gift? At the end of the post, I‘ll let you know how to enter to win a book Dr. Dean Ornish says, “…eloquently describes the importance of addressing the emotional and spiritual aspects of our lives in order to truly nourish ourselves.”
But first I’m gonna let you in on a li'l secret – I love the name of my blog/website. (Duh, right?) I took great care in choosing the name and the graphic to represent it. Allow me to tell you about both.
The picture – After looking through thousands of pictures I knew I wanted this one because of the feeling it invokes. This is what it brings to mind for me:
the enrichment of being out in nature, the ideas of life and light from the sunlight and greenery of the background,
the grounding quality of the natural wood of the table,
the comfort of the hominess of the red and white checkered tablecloth,
the promise of the possibilities implied by the rumpled cloth.
In this lovely scene, I see a beginning.
From it I envision my loved ones coming to smooth the tablecloth, filling it with beautiful, nourishing food, and surrounding it to share a meal, deepen our connection, and create enduring memories. I hear stories and laughter accompanied by the twittering of birds in the trees. I smell the freshness of nature and the mouthwatering scent of food lovingly prepared. I see beauty in the people and surroundings. I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and of love in my heart. I am nourished inside and out. (It’s a lot for one simple picture, I know. I have a good imagination.)
The name was chosen to express the balance between our inner and outer selves: one can’t be at its best if we’re neglecting the other.
Body – It was a no-brainer to include Body in the name since I knew we’d be talking a lot about our attitude toward and relationship with our body, along with how we care for it (including, but not limited to, how we feed it).
Soul – I also knew we’d be addressing the essence of who we are. We’d work together on noticing, filling, and appreciating the nonphysical part of ourselves in a very physical world. It took some marinating time before I settled on Soul. To me, this word encompasses our heart, our mind, and our will – what makes us us.
Nourishing – One other possibility would have been Feeding Body and Soul, but to nourish is different than to feed. The dictionary emphasizes the difference nicely. To feed is “to give food to” or “provide what is necessary for the function of” something or someone. To nourish is “to promote the growth or development of” a living thing. In our work here, we’re about much more than basic function; we’re all about growth and development.
I intentionally chose the active form of the word to remind us this is an ongoing process. We don’t ever reach the point where we get to say, “I nourished my body and my soul, and now I’m done.” This is no simple item we can check off our to-do list. It’s a process, a practice, an attitude we grow into.
My intention with every item on my website and every word or picture I publish is to provide nourishment to you, my friends.
Now, for the GIFT!
NOURISHING WISDOM by Marc David is about how to eat rather than what to eat. If you eat, you’ll want to read this book. To enter for your chance to win simply leave a comment either –
below in the comment section (If you’re not a subscriber, be sure I have an email address so I can contact you if you win.),
in the Facebook thread where you saw the link to this post,
OR
shoot me an email, if you’re a subscriber.
I’ll announce the winner on Friday, March 23rd!