Attention to Attention

One of my intentions this year for Lent is to work at emotional and mental resilience skills (such as mindfulness, awareness, purpose, and community-building), because being able to adapt to stressors and bounce back from difficult experiences will allow me to be a wise, flexible, creative, hopeful, and positive leader for my family, community, and for the earth.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are a perfect classroom for this: We have both our grandsons on these days - for nine hours! It's challenging but supremely rewarding.

Agenda for today:

1. Read "Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook"

2. Make creamy ricotta dip

1. Read "Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook":

I'm reading again from the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook, by Margaret Cullen and Gonzalo Brito Pons (2015). I got it after realizing that mindfulness might be the key to gaining the equanimity I crave. This is supposedly an "8-week program for Improved Emotional Regulation and Resilience"; I'm taking it much slower.

Last week I started Part Two: The Program. Chapter 4 is Learning How to Pay Attention One Breath, One Sensation at a Time. I have practiced mindfulness of breath, and a body scan. This week I am working at attention field observation:

#1: Notice the quality of breath in everyday life: Do a quick check in throughout the day. Is my breath long or short? Deep or shallow? Is my chest open or closed? is my breathing related to how I am feeling? Make a note of what I've observed.

#2: Be present in small ways: Pick one small activity (such as teeth brushing, cutting vegetables, or caring for my ducks) and see if I can devote my full attention to it and the simple sensations in my body. Bring kind and patient attention to my wandering mind - just be aware of it.

"The capacity to pay attention is crucial for emotional balance, since it gives you the freedom to focus your mind in constructive ways, instead of being tossed around by random internal external stimuli." 

2. Make creamy ricotta dip:

In service to my simple foods fast, I made this lovely dip. I actually made a half of this recipe - it's a great way to use up leftover ricotta, and half is what I had leftover.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 15-ounce container of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• zest of 1 lemon
• french bread rounds

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Mince the onion.

2. In a medium skillet over medium-hight heat, bring one tablespoon of oil up to temperature and sauté the onion until it is just beginning to brown. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Deglaze the pan using the wine and reduce until thick and syrupy. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg, zest, and the sautéd onion mixture.

4. Grease a 9 x 5 baking dish using the remaining olive oil. Pour ricotta mixture in and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes. You may brown the top under the broiler if desired. Serve with bread.

I have some leftover, so I plan to spread it on bread and toast it under the broiler.