In these times of great stress it's even more important for us to slow down, breathe, and be with our feelings. This is the basis of mindfulness, and luckily you don't need to sit on a meditation cushion to benefit from it. Mindful living extends to every facet of our lives...including how we fuel and nourish our bodies.
In this series I'm sharing the 8 Steps of Mindful Eating which can help you calm your nervous system, shift unhealthy patterns, and learn to listen to your gut — literally and figuratively! In Part 1 of this series I'm sharing the first 4 tips, so you can lay the foundation to gain more energy, tune into your body's needs, and reclaim your health.
1. Set the Stage and Love Yourself
Make it easier for yourself to succeed and harder for yourself to overeat, to eat unconsciously, or to eat foods that aren’t good for you.
These choices are about avoiding or cleaning up the environments that promote poor eating habits.
This lets you honor the process of nourishing yourself, and remember that you are worth treating yourself well:
Eat only in a proper dining setting – not at your desk, not in front of a TV, not while driving, not between meals, not while in a meeting – you’re better than that.
Get the junky stuff out of your house!
Don’t go to fast food restaurants.
Tell your coworkers you’re not eating that stuff anymore, so please don’t even offer you a cupcake.
Bring your own lunch.
Eat a healthy meal before the party.
Don’t hang out by the food table.
2. Use Empowering Language
Instead of telling yourself, “I can’t eat that cupcake ” or “I shouldn’t eat those French fries,” use words that embody power and choice.
Some examples: “I feel amazing when I feed myself well."
"I don’t eat that shit! I don’t put that junk in my amazing body."
"I choose to be a healthy eater. I choose to love myself so much that I only eat really high quality food."
"I don’t overeat. I choose to stop eating before I’m full.”
3: Slow down and breathe.
Slowing down the eating process makes it easier to perceive when you’ve had enough, and also to feel if your body doesn’t like what or how you’re eating. Before you eat something you know isn’t great for you, take at least one deep breath. You’re creating space so that the behavior isn’t automatic and unconscious. 4: Tune in to the underlying feeling. If you’re wanting to eat something unhealthy, or to continue eating even though you know you’re not hungry anymore, tune in to the feeling that’s urging you to do this. Just take a moment to sit with it. If it helps, tell yourself, “I can still have the 'food' afterwards. Let's just do this first"... Often this compulsion is below your radar and you respond to it unconsciously by eating and eating. Let's STOP, take a breath, and BE present. Drop into your body and feel what’s happening.
What's REALLY happening ? What does it feel like? An anxious, unsettled feeling? An empty, yearning feeling? Numbness? Whatever you feel, see if you can simply be with it for a moment, without any resistance. Let yourself feel it fully. Take a breath into it. Allow it to pass through you and depart. What happens? Even if you still eat the food , that is okay, this is still a great process and can be done over and over again to gain awareness and lead towards better decisions in the future.
Eating mindfully the "7 Human Hungers" will be the centerpiece of our upcoming workshop, guiding us toward a healthier life full of vitality! This 2-hour workshop features:
🍃 Interactive Learning
🧘♀️ Guided Energy Medicine Yoga Practices
💬 Engaging Discussions on Mindful Eating Practices
December 9th, 2023, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at Firefly Studio, Orlando. Investment: $45
I can't wait to share this transformative experience with you! Feel free to bring a friend along for this wellness adventure.
Warm regards,
Cathy Gooden 🌿✨