The Lost Ritual of Eating

Eating, along with cooking, is a sacred ritual worthy of the highest priority on our list of to do’s.

The energy surrounding the food and infused into the food, takes precedence to the actual food itself. Moving past the notion that food is only a means to satisfy an immediate physical need, we can admit that we, at some point, developed an unhealthy relationship with even the healthiest of foods.

We have been conditioned to abuse it and ourselves by eating the wrong foods as prescribed by others, rejecting the rights one, and over-thinking and over-analyzing what to eat. To some extend we have become more caught up in nutritional content, diets and trends. And it’s all certainly pointing towards an extended root of our problem.

We have become overly-intellectual in our relationship with food, to the point of extremity. And now we are desperate to find our way back to a level of simplicity, connection and understanding of our food. We had it all along. This not some new age idea, the ancients knew, showed us, but somehow we became too mental about it. We then, minimized and complicated it some with nutritional science, changeable food pyramids (that are not a one size fit all kind of paradigm to live and die by) and far too many choices. The paradox is, in gaining much we have lost more.

Who we are and what food is, is not purely scientific. Yet, the scale is tipping more in one direction.

We have forgotten how to use our hearts and intuitive minds in the food selection and preparation process.

The good news is… that it’s reversible.

Considering the how, what and how much you eat… here are a few ways to get the most nutrition from your food:

1. Know thyself…(outside of the mind scape)

An ancient maxim, still relevant today and a simple way to approach it within this context, is to adopt a more intuitive approach to choosing foods by listening to your own common sense and body talk. Listening to your body and trusting that it has intelligence that must be cultivated in the process of giving it what it needs. Desires, while are physical are also connected to our other bodies of being, our spiritual and emotional selves. Thus, our attraction or inclination towards a particular food may reflect more than a physical need, it is also stimulated and connected to the needs of our spiritual and emotional bodies. There is no one diet fits all, and our dietary needs are unique to ourselves. Getting quiet and tuning in helps.

2. Know thy food…

One of the first ways to become one or more in tune with your food, is to talk to it, get to know it, appreciate where it comes from, what it can offer and try to understand why you are drawn to it. To make a friend of it, “ you must realize that food has its own form of life and that its vibrations are not always in tune with ours. So we have to magnetize it, communicate some of our own particles to it so as to change the rhythm of its particles and ensure its friendship. Only then will it open up and pour out its riches for us” (Aivanhov, 103). Just as we take the time and care to develop relationships with people, and understand that over time, a kind of osmosis happens and we begin to vibrate in unison, the same can be expected in our dynamic with food. Furthermore, given the process of farm to table, as Aivanhov once said, food is “a total stranger. But if you take a fruit, hold it with respect and look at it lovingly, it will become your friend and vibrate quite differently” (104). Plants, as the lovely, living beings they are also need to feel a sense of connection in order to fully express themselves and allow you to create from their beauty, beautiful food.

3. Energize with Positive Thought Vibrations…

This is yet another ancient tradition with millenary origins still applicable today. Contemplating while cooking raises the vibration of the food, as does the simple act of blessing your food. “The words and gestures of the blessing wrap the food in emanations and fluids which prepare it to vibrate in harmony with you who are going to eat it, and an adaptation takes place in your subtle bodies which enables you to receive and benefit from all the properties contained in the food” (Aivanhov, 102). Show gratitude for what you have been given by taking a moment to bless your bounty.

4. Eat your meal with a level of moderation & mindfulness…

Too much of anything can cause harm and eating in moderation is a sure way to maintain a level of balance. Providing yourself a few choices at mealtime is one way to achieve this and not over-indulge on any one particular food. Mindfulness encompasses a non-judgmental attentiveness, presence, an acknowledgment and respect for your own internal compass as you move through the stages of choosing, preparing, and partaking in the ritual of eating quality foods.

5. Take time to enjoy your food in good company.

Eat slowly and whether you choose silence or lively positive dialogue is up to you. There’s nothing like sharing a meal with family and/or friends. Good digestion, absorption and assimilation benefits from all of the above.

Healing FoodsGhostFebruary 27, 2012