The cheerful colors, refreshing fragrance, and sweet taste of seasonal citrus fruit, bring a burst of sunshine in the middle of winter that enliven our senses, and welcomes the New Year with positive energy.

To celebrate the citrus harvest, students begin cooking classes with a time-honored tradition of meditating on a satsuma mandarin orange.  Through mindful eating practices, students learn how to awaken a deeper appreciation of the food they eat, and become more conscious of the connection it has to their health and environment.  As we pause and refresh our breath, we close our eyes, and savor the beauty of the mandarin, with gratitude for its nourishment, and its sweet nectar that embrace all our senses.  And with the knowledge that it belongs to a greater whole—the land, sun, and sky—we fully appreciate the splendor of this gift of nature, in this precious moment of calm and stillness.