The Sacredness of Food

Have you ever stopped to think about how much goes into getting food on your plate?

I think about it more and more often these days.

Are you a person who can grow plants?

I’m not someone who grows anything with ease.

Recently, while in Costa Rica, I stared at wonder when a guide walking us through a thicket of trees stooped to pull up cilantro in the wild. The smell was incredible. I gazed at a tree heavy with mangoes, and saw a red cacao pod, the very first step to the beloved chocolate.

Lately, I find myself at my plate giving thanks to the people who grew my food, packaged it, the truck drivers who transported it, and those who stocked the shelves and sold it to me, in addition to my gratitude to God.

AND THEN, there is the phenomenon of digestion. Our bodies know how to transform what we put into our mouths into our body’s own cells.

Me enjoying some amazing food in Samara, Costa Rica. Some of the best GF bread I've ever had!

It is all truly a miracle, and why (honestly) I cringe when I see someone shoving food into their mouth mindlessly while staring at their phone.

I’m not saying this to shame anyone. I know it's a common practice. I used to do it too.

In Ayurveda, there are several components to mindful eating practices. A few include giving thanks at the beginning of a meal, taking a few breaths to calm the nervous system, and eating without distraction.

We also have to digest any sensations or experiences that we take in while eating our food, so eating in a distracted manner or while doing other things can tax our digestive system.

So I ask you: can you pause, even for a few moments at each meal, to appreciate the sacredness of your food and digestion?