| Food & Spirituality |
| Eating, food preparation, and mindful awareness |
A mindful process
"The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art."
~~ William Morris
Learning to be mindfully aware of the eating process from start to finish was a huge part of changing my relationship to food. That includes paying mindful attention to the processes involved in preparing, eating, and cleaning up afterward—the sights, sounds, textures, tastes, smells, and feelings.
What is being mindfully aware?
To be mindful is to be aware; to be fully present in the moment. Think of a time you really enjoyed; perhaps laying on the beach listening to the surf, feeling the sun touch upon your skin, the texture of the sand and the smell of the ocean air. You feel somehow more in touch with your body. You notice the sound of children playing and how it sounds a little distant even though they are playing but a few yards away. You feel a gentle breeze that gives just the right amount of cooling ventilation to balance the direct sun. You feel transported to a time and place quite distant from the normal hustle and bustle of daily life. You feel very alive. This is being "in the moment", mindfully aware of what is happening as it happens. You are fully experiencing the moment as you pass through it. At that point in time, you were experiencing life to its fullest.
With practice, I'm learning to apply this same kind of awareness to my food preparation and eating experiences. I practice giving my full attention to the time I devote to making and eating meals (and even the cleanup work afterward).
How does this help?
I use to eat in a way that might best be described as being on autopilot. I ate quickly and barely chewed my food. I rarely stopped to savor a morsel. Most of the time I was unconscious of my chewing and swallowing processes. I would obsess about food and diets or feel hungry all the time, but I was disconnected from my food on many levels. I ate with the TV on or other distractions. I'd "throw" something together or heat up canned and frozen prepared foods. I'd go to the drive-through and finish my burger and fries before I'd get to my destination. I'd nibble on snack foods nearly unconsciously while sitting at my computer or watching a video. I ate on the run. I ate to not feel anything. I ate out of boredom. I'd eat when I wasn't hungry. I often ate at odd hours. If someone asked me what I had for dinner last night, I wouldn't have been able to answer them without straining my brain to remember.
Slowing down and paying full attention to eating helps me listen for, hear, and act on my satiety signals. It helps me know when I've had enough. It leaves me feeling that I've nurtured and honored my-self in a healthy way—and met the nutritional needs of my body. It turns what use to be a rather automatic and joyless process into a very satisfying life experience. It helps me to relax and unwind. It makes me aware of just how much I'm eating and have eaten. It helps me feel satisfied with healthy but smaller portions. It reminds me to be grateful for what I have and it reaffirms throughout the day that I do have the power to improve my health.
Found at Dognozzle.com
