In the Season Thereof

Happy soon-to-be-Thanksgiving! I invite you to take a few minutes to read and ponder these beautiful scriptures about the fullness of the earth that God has ordained for our temporal and spiritual wellness. In my Ayurvedic studies, one of the key aspects is eating the right food in the right season - how lovely to have that confirmed through modern day revelation! Truth is truth, my friends. And that is not the only nugget of gold within these scriptural passages. I would love to hear your thoughts and questions. Below the scriptures, I will share a bit more about what Ayurveda has found about the benefits of eating “in the season thereof.”
Doctrine&Covenants 59
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.

​D&C 89
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man--
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.


Ayurvedic Teachings: Ayur-what? Ayurveda is the “science (or wisdom) of life,” an ancient whole-istic medicinal system. I am currently studying the preventative medicine/lifestyle health side of it through the Chopra Center. I’m loving it. Like I mentioned above, one of the key aspects is eating with the seasons. As far as I currently understand it, the basic idea is that preventative medicine is all about returning to a state of equilibrium/balance BEFORE things get too much toward dis-ease. In our modern age we have a tendency to only stop when we drop - whereas being preventative means taking time to listen and slow down and shift things a while before we drop. We naturally want to find ways to take us to a state of equilibrium - when we feel cold, we want to bundle up; when we are to warm, we want to cool down; etc. In conjunction with the seasons, nature has provided foods that help our bodies find balance. In the heat of the summer, cooling fruits and vegetables grow. In the cooling of fall, root vegetables that must be cooked (and are thus warming) grow more naturally. In the muddiness of spring, cleansing greens are in abundance.
Now, we live in a time where you can pick up almost anything at your local grocery store - no matter the time of year. But being aware of what naturally grows in which season, and knowing that the qualities of those foods are incredibly helpful in my body shifting back to health and balance, motivates me to meal plan around seasonal foods. My family and I have noticed that a) we naturally enjoy eating those foods more during that time of year anyway, and b) we feeeel the goodness of it.  And really believe it is helping us stay healthy!

One of my other favorite aspects of these scriptures, are the comments on enjoying your food with thanksgiving. In Ayurveda, there is also a big focus on mindfulness in eating. Like the French, who eat for the experience and enjoyment of eating, Ayurveda encourages a relationship with food that is full of awareness, gratitude, and presence. This is a biggie for me. As in, it’s really hard for me to eat slowly. WOOF. If I ever get to a place where I can’t say that, it will be a miracle. But it is so important to slow down, digest, and engage thoughtfully with good and mealtimes. You can learn more about that here.

So: may your Thanksgiving be full of delicious seasonal foods, and gratitude and presence for those around you and the food in front of you. Namaste!

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