Amplified Wellness

[leahberman]

summer bummer

Cannon Beach, Oregon

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[amplifiedwellness]

The philosophy of keiseki is that we are supposed to honor the area that we're living in. Making the best use of what the season has to offer. One of the first things I learned about keiseki is that the integrity of the ingredients should never get lost. In Japanese, it's called sozai wo mamoru, which means  to 'protect the ingredients.'  After having this garden, to see it from seed, watch it grow little by little, to watch the process.. to see it struggle, to see it survive. It's this whole process. Everything takes time, everything takes the right amount of nurturing. Everything deserves effort because it's making the effort. This little tomato took three months to grow, and to just toss it or to waste it, or to take it so lightly, we're not doing our best to appreciate what nature has to offer or what the lessons of life all around us are trying to teach us.

Niki Nakayama N/Naka, Los Angeles