Meditation Articles Series

Yesterday my friend said he has started making soup for his evening meal.  This is a ritual I do every night, and one I learnt from my daughter when she was staying with me earlier this year.  Every night we would prepare together a simple and nourishing soup.  I have carried on the tradition since she left.  I find this meal not only satisfying but also an opportunity to be mindful as I prepare the vegetables and stock.

My friend remarked that he was inspired by this meal, and that he liked the frugality of it.  I began to think about the concept of frugality and what it really means.  I went onto the net to find out the definition of the word, frugal.  I found so many websites that are about frugality and living simply.  It’s become the latest “buzz”.  Frugality is all about being economical, avoiding waste, and living simply. 

It could well be that others like myself and my daughter are becoming increasingly aware of the proliferation of consumerism, and the exhaustive amounts of “stuff” that goes to the land refuse sites.

Perhaps you too have a daily ritual where, for example, you prepare a meal that calls you to be aware of the ingredients you use, and of the way you prepare those ingredients.  When you sit down to your meal you are conscious of the nourishment of the food, but at the same time the economical simplicity of what you have chosen to eat.  The experience of this is not only food for the body but also food for the soul.  There is something about simplicity whether defined in the concept of frugality or not.  It’s about feeding a part of ourselves that requires very little for inner peace and outward happiness.