Current Newsletter

Hello and welcome to a rather wet February newsletter.

The start of a month often signifies a new beginning but it rarely coincides with a fitting relentless downpour that has washed away most if not all of the winter cobwebs. With all this rain it has been difficult to get on with the many jobs we need to start, finish and plan for.

It wont be long now before the weather starts to warm up and the first flushes of spring will be in the meadow below. We have already started planting a few seeds in the poly-tunnel to get an early seeds to try and get a head start on the growing season.

It is an increasingly dark time with the world and its leaders lurching from one initiative to another. Recently we have had to remind ourselves what brought us to this place. It is difficult to do good and lasting work. It is seemingly impossible to create healthy change. But people are basically good and caring. We may feel distressed, overwhelmed, numbed, and afraid. But beneath these feelings, we still desire learning, freedom, meaning, and love.

For many years, Ive been privileged to meet and work with people from many different communities, organisations, and nations. I have found life to be the best teacher for the dilemmas of these times. How do we live and work in a world that is increasingly chaotic? How do we live and work as an interdependent community and planet? How do we evoke peoples innate creativity and caring? What are the values we must preserve as everything changes around us? How can we be together in ways that affirm rather than destroy life?

Working in the world, Ive grown increasingly distressed. Especially in the last few years, things are not going right. Good people are finding it increasingly difficult to do what they know is best. In any type of work we are being asked to work faster, more competitively, more selfishly and to focus only on the short-term. These values cannot lead to anything healthy and sustainable, and they are alarmingly destructive. Even though life is our best teacher, were not learning her lessons. We believe we must learn quickly now how to live and work together in ways that bring us back to life.  This is why we started Ahimsa-Portugal to help people along their journey, back to life.

Garri has been accepted as an international facilitator for The Work that Reconnects created by Joanna Macy. Visit the website for further details www.joannamacy.net go to the facilitators network map button and scroll down.

Ayurveda

Open the Dosha Questionnaire (PDF)

Today we are going to look at the third dosha, which is Pitta.

Pitta is a combination of fire and water. It is responsible for transformation in body and mind. Its qualities are: hot, slightly unctuous, sharp, burning, light, liquid, acidic, pungent, free flowing.

People with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions, with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that is very fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that tends towards premature greying or thinning. They are sharp and determined in thought, speech and action. There is an element of purpose to their step, intensity of voice. Ambition is usually their second name. They are moderate sleepers and gravitate towards cooler environments. Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of balanced Pitta. 

Factors that can cause Pitta dosha to increase include a diet that contains too many hot or spicy foods, fasting or skipping meals, over-exposure to the sun or hot temperatures, loud aggressive music, anger and emotional trauma.

Signs that you need to balance Pitta

• Are you constantly critical, impatient and irritable?
• Do you feel obsessed by work or a project, unable to stop for a break?
• Do you wake up in the very early hours of the morning and then find it difficult to get back to sleep?
• Is your skin feeling irritated or more sensitive than usual, breaking out or feeling inflamed?
• Is your hair falling when you shampoo or comb it?
• Do you have problems with heartburn or excess stomach acid?
• Is your tolerance of other people or provoking situations lower than usual? Do you have temper outbursts over minor aggravations? Do you often feel frustrated?
• Do you feel hot even when you are indoors? Do you feel thirsty all the time? Are your eyes red?
• Is your speech often biting and sarcastic? Do you find yourself getting into arguments easily?

Lifestyle Recommendations

The primary lifestyle recommendation for balancing Pitta is to stay cool-both physically and emotionally. Avoid going out in the heat of the day. Avoid exercising when it's hot. Walk away from situations that make you see red. Do not skip meals, do not fast and do not wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry.

Water-based activities are ideal exercise for Pitta-dominant people. Swimming or aqua-aerobics are excellent to stay fit but cool. Strolling after sunset, especially along a waterfront, is good relaxation. Go to bed early, so that you can get adequate rest each night. Set aside about 30 minutes each day for meditation, to help balance the heart and emotions and to enhance body-mind-spirit coordination.  

Diet

Include a few dry foods in your daily diet to balance the liquid nature of Pitta, some "heavy" foods that offer substance and sustained nourishment, and foods that are cool to balance the fiery quality of Pitta. 

The three tastes to balance Pitta are sweet, bitter and astringent. Eat less salty, pungent and sour tastes. Start your day with cooked fruit, followed by some cereal. Eat a sustaining meal at lunch and a lighter meal for dinner.

Dry cereal, crackers, granola and cereal bars, and rice cakes balance the liquid nature of Pitta dosha, and can be eaten any time hunger pangs strike during the day. Carrots, asparagus, bitter leafy greens, fennel, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, green beans, okra, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beetroots, artichoke and bitter gourd are good vegetable choices. They become more digestible when chopped and cooked with Pitta-pacifying spices, e.g.  Turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and fennel.

Raw salads with lettuce, cucumber, avocado or carrots are excellent. Eat plenty of sweet ripe fruit likepineapple, peaches, plums, grapes, mangoes, melons, pears, pomegranates, cherries, all kinds of berries, apples, coconut, dates, fresh and dried figs.

Dairy products including whole milk, cream, butter, yoghurt, cottage cheese and paneer cheese cool down the Pitta imbalance. Stay cool in warm weather by drinking lots of room temperature water. Avoid stimulants like coffee, tea, alcohol and cigarettes.

Ahimsa-Kitchen

Baixo Chowder

Serves 4

This is a recipe based on one passed down to me by my Grandmother it is an unusual combination of sweet, sour and spicy flavours and really easy to make.

500ml plain yoghurt
60g smooth peanut butter
1tbsp of corn flour, mixed into 60ml cold water
2cm fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stalk lemon grass, lightly crushed
2 green chillies, seeds removed
1 tsp mustard seeds
6 curry leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp honey
3 fresh ears of sweet corn or 1 large can of kernels, drained
250ml vegetable stock

Heat the oil in the saucepan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook until the seeds begin to pop.

Add the ginger, garlic, lemon grass and chillies and fry over gentle heat while stirring to prevent browning.

Add the yoghurt, peanut butter, honey, and corn flour mixture. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. 

Slice the kernels off the corncobs or use canned kernels, and cook in the stock for 15 minutes or until soft. Add the kernels and stock to the soup base and warm through. Check seasoning. Serve with fresh chopped coriander.

Curried Vegetables

Serves 4

Let your hair down with this warming dish, use any combination of seasonal vegetables, concentrating on including a variety of flavours, textures and colours. This recipe cuts a bold swathe through the offerings of the spice rack, so enjoy the aroma.

5 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
15g butter
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 bay leaves
1 green chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1kg mixed vegetables, including some potatoes, chopped to bite-size pieces
1 x 410g can butter or kidney beans (optional)
1 tsp garam masala 

Heat the oil, add the spices, including bay leaves, and fry briefly to release aromas. Stir in the onion and sauté until golden.

Add the butter and follow with the chilli, garlic, and ginger and fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomato and allow to simmer until it is incorporated into the sauce.

Pour in half-cupfuls of hot water to keep it moist.

Mix in the vegetables and simmer until cooked.

Add garam masala just before serving.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice or lentils.

Orange, Chocolate and Nut Cake

Serves 12-16

This is a rich treat for cold days and special occasions.

250g butter, softened
250g sugar
3 eggs
250g plain flour, shifted
5 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Juice and grated rind of one medium orange
250g nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans), chopped
250g dark plain chocolate, chopped into small pieces
250g sultanas

Mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one by one and mix thoroughly. Add flour, baking powder, salt, orange juice and rind and mix well.

Add the rest of the ingredients. 

Mix and turn into a greased ring-form cake tin (one with a hole in the centre).

Bake at 180°C for 1 hour.

Turn out when cool and drizzle a mixture of 125g icing sugar and 30ml of orange juice over the top.

Sustainability Tip

One of the core values at Ahimsa-Portugal is that we try as much as possible to live and work with nature. We are very conscious of our foot print, not only the energy we use but across everything we do. Ahimsa means to do no harm or at least to minimise our impact as much as we can. Below are some of the ideas that we are putting into practice and perhaps you could try some of them too?

Setting targets, measuring change

Energy is most obviously measured at the electricity or gas meter or at the petrol/diesel pump. But water use, and waste leaving your home, office or factory, is also a form of energy and this can also be measured, at least in an appropriate way.

In reading about the following methods, keep in mind the energy you use can be measured and targets can be set to improve (reduce) your fossil fuel use. The focus can be to be to make lasting changes to the way we act not always and easy task!

Metered energy use

Keep records of your electricity (and gas) meter reading (not just the monetary cost on the bill). By comparing meter readings from quarter to quarter, you can assess whether you used more or less and what the reasons were. Water meters are easily read and are a useful tool to monitor resource use. Does usage increase every year? What would it take to achieve a decrease?

Unmetered energy use

• How many journeys are made by car? 100%? 50%? 0%?

• How many kilometres do you travel each year?

By knowing these figures you can begin to manage car usage, and quite possibly, decide to reduce it. Anything can be managed the same way, that isnt metered. Some strategies will be covered in future newsletters.

Socially responsible targets

Targets can be set about increasing the number of our journeys made by foot, bike or public transport or reducing the overall number of journeys made.

Increasing the amount of time or money given to community projects or charities and the amount of time spent on campaigning for a better environment are two other areas some people measure and aim to improve year by year.

Rubbish as a measure of your eco-footprint

Do you put your rubbish bin out for a weekly collection? Is it full every week? The waste in your bin is a really good indicator of how much you are consuming (i.e., wasting).

Set yourself a waste reduction target perhaps, at first, put the bin out three weeks in four, then every other week, and then once per month. By thinking first and avoiding the buying of rubbish in the first place it can reduce the waste you throw away. This has been really important at Fonte de Baixo as we have no collection facilities we have to take our waste to a central collection point once a month where it is picked up. This has been a really useful reminder to us to think before we buy and throw. This is an excellent way to reduce negative impact on the environment and it helps reduce the cost of rubbish removal every time the bin truck doesnt have to stop means a cost saving for our local council.

You can do the same with recycling a two stage approach because a recycling bin is also a measure of consumerism. Of course, it is good to recycle everything you can, but aim to cut down the recycling frequency because a full recycling bin each week indicates unsustainable levels of consumerism.

Good as it is, recycling is still a high energy consumer the materials have to be transported long distances for processing, and lots of energy is used in the reprocessing. Its better to reduce the packaging when a purchase is made (e.g. fewer bottles and cans and more fresh food) where possible reusing containers is an excellent way to help. 

Gardening Tip:

Well, winter is nearly over, even though it may not feel like it. This has been our wettest month since we moved to Portugal. The days are getting longer and sometimes it can seem like spring. Dont let this tempt you to start outdoor sowing, but do finish off those winter tasks like pruning, planting and moving shrubs and trees, and any clearing, cleaning and tidying. This is the time to get our seeds and onion sets and seed potatoes, these latter we can chit in a bright frost free place.

All the vegetable beds need to be cleared, other than those containing hardy winter varieties. As we use a Permaculture approach we dont dig the soil, instead we cover it with anything that blocks out the light and allows the soil to warm up. My favourites are old newspapers and straw, both which mulch down to add to the soil quality. Sweet peas and broad beans can be started this month in pots without any warmth, either out of doors or in an unheated greenhouse. Beware of the dreaded snails and slugs. Onion sets, garlic, shallots and Jerusalem artichokes can all be planted outdoors now.   A little help from our friendly hens help clear the bugs and grubs as they are disturbed by our raking and setting activity. If you have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel, its possible to sow in modules of seed compost: Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage, peas, leeks and onions. Most of the above mentioned vegetables are fairly easy apart from carrots which are fussy about soil, and need the protection of some cover to protect them from carrot fly. I tend to use plastic poly-tubes which I build myself from large paint splash sheets I get from the hardware shop.

Gardening by the Moon in February

Planting: Flowers, 6^th and 15^th; Leaves, 17^th and 18^th; Fruit, 9^th - 11^th; Roots, 9^th - 11^th.

Sowing seeds: Flowers, 24^th & 25^th; Leaves, 1^st, 26^th-28^th; Fruit, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, 19^th-21^st; Roots, 4^th, 22^nd-23^rd.

The Bees

On cold days in February everything looks very quiet in the apiary but quite a lot is happening inside the hive. The empty cells in the middle of the cluster are being prepared for eggs and the queen starts laying, slowly at first and at an increasing rate during the month. During the first part of the winter, when there is very little for the bees to do, they dont eat much food but now the consumption may increase four-fold. Those nice warm sunny days in February will tempt the bees out to forage for nectar and pollen from nearby winter flowers such as Mahonia, hellebores, snowdrops and crocus. Our willow hedging will hopefully provide masses of pollen. The bees will also get rid of the indigestible waste that has been stored in their digestive systems during the poor weather when they were unable to leave the hive. February sees the start of the most testing time of the year for bees. The winter bees are now quite old in bee life terms. They have to work harder than ever feeding an increasing number of larvae, foraging as the weather improves and maintaining a high temperature for a growing brood area. Many of the older bees will die having worked themselves to a standstill. When you next take a spoon of honey for your toast, pause a moment, and give thanks to the busy bee.

Beauty Tip:

Lavender and Salt Body Scrub

This is an effective exfoliator to invigorate the skin after the winter.

Ingredients:

150 g (5oz) salt (crystal or sea salt)
100 g (3 oz) dried lavender
375 ml (12 fl oz) sweet almond oil
25 drops of lavender essential oil

Blend the dry ingredients and place in a sealable jar (one with a rubber seal is ideal). Pour the oil over them. If it does not cover the salt, add a little extra.

Use by the handful, applied in circular strokes everywhere except the face, which is way too fragile. Rinse or shower off.

If you want to add anything to our newsletter, events, workshops, ideas or services for sale or trade, please dont hesitate to send them through and we are happy to add them to future newsletters. If you would like to go onto our newsletter list then please send an email to: info@ahimsa-portugal.com

From Projeto-Ahimsa and Fonte de Baixo -