If you badly want to get in shape, you’ve probably come across just about every kind of diet regimen. Some are difficult, while others are just impossible. Whatever the diet regimen of your choice is, one thing’s for sure: the road is nowhere near fun, and you’re surely filled with a sense of dread. Have you ever thought of an alternative form of meditation? One that you can look forward to and will not only help you lose weight but will also lead to total mindfullness? Unsurprisingly enough, meditation is the answer.
The Problem
Although there are definitely exceptions, the average American diet is filled with way too much processed sugar, fried foods, sweet beverages, and white flours. The problem is all too clear: these are filled with chemicals, sodium, sugar, and calories. This is the same diet that’s heavily advertised in media and is pervasive in the fast food industry. It’s not impossible to pinpoint what the problem with this is: we become the food we eat. Our emotional response, our socializing patterns, even our addictions—they all revolve around food.
How to Eat as a Form of Meditation
In order to get in the right shape, what it takes is not a total change in terms of how you view food. Instead of mindlessly gobbling down food, you should instead look at it as a way to gain awareness of your thoughts and emotions, and be grateful for what you have on your place.
You well know that meditation is about dropping all your activities, just being in the present moment without any expectation. You watch your breath course in and out of your body intently, and in the process gain control and focus. This is essentially what food meditation is all about.
What is food meditation about?
It’s not about gratifying yourself with as much food as you can take in. Rather, it’s about slowing down, savoring the food, being mindful about what you’re eating, and ultimately being grateful for it.
- Clear everything else. Don’t even try to multitask: eating while driving, reading, or watching. This just complicates things and leaves little space for meditation.
- Appreciate your food. Before eating it, take a time to consider the food in front of you. Notice the texture, the presentability, and the color. Take a moment to mull over where your food came from—the farmers who toiled for your bread, the animals that gave their lives for your nutrition, and the plants that bore the fruits.
- Taste the food. Take a scrumptious bite of your food. Consider the nourishment you are getting from your food. Pause in between, and relish your emotions. Take one bite at a time. Breathe. Enjoy the food. Then repeat the process over.
