Magica Giselle // Mindful Eating

MAGICA GISELLE

MINDFUL EATING

This month has been an other incredible opportunity for me to check in with honesty and vulnerability the relationship I have with my self, my body and with food.

As a partnership goal, my companion and I decided to set the intention of being more mindful when we share our meals.
At this point in our life and journey together it’s not so much about WHAT we eat, but HOW we eat. We have a vegan household and are passionate about making delicious meals for ourselves and our community.

We’ve unpleasantly noticed that when we are emotionally triggered we eat a lot of food and we do it very quickly, we sort of race through our meals like if we were to win a prize at the end.. We end up not enjoying each others company, avoid talking about the giant elephant emotion in the way and sit with the uncomfort of a food coma.

Food is our most accepted addiction. Not saying that we shouldn’t eat of course, but I’d like to point the finger to the inner addict (in me..and maybe you have a small one too) that uses food to cover and cope with uncomfortable emotions.

This morning I had a really good talk with my partner and we decided to find ways to peacefully and harmoniously bring emotional balance in our lives and have meals be what they are supposed to be: joyous moments of nourishment, communion, laughter and delight. Just that.

The steps for Mindful Eating Manifesto that we are incorporating:

1. If feeling triggered or overwhelmed I DON’T EAT. Wait.

2. Make space and time for my self to meet 100% of the emotional content that is pushing me to step into the addiction (eating, drinking, smoking, drugs ..) it's easy to recognise because it has a quality of being very rushed, there is an urgency of "I need this now". Never really true!!

3. Use a mirror or my partner to NAME all the things that I am feeling, included the urge to eat as fast as possible!

4. Breathe

5. Mindfully go back to preparing my meal. Maybe playing some soothing or joyful music. I don’t want to be cooking or even touch my food if my emotional wave is very active. Wait. Breathe. And then go back to it. Mindful eating is allowing myself to become aware of the positive and truly nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection (mindfully doing your groceries), preparation (enjoying and honouring the creative process) and consumption in a calm and serene inner and outer environment.

6. Sometimes the best option we have is to get out of the house and go to a restaurant if the energy in your home is toxic and I just need to get out.

7. Use ALL of my senses, take my time, don’t rush through things like they didn’t matter. This is about me and you, and WE matter.

8.Listen to my body. Am I hungry? Am I thirsty? Am I full? Have I eaten enough or too little? Learning to stop eating before I am overly full so then my body will need so much extra time to process both emotions and food.

9. Become aware of my responses to food, don’t just eat. Taking the time to listen if my body says YES, NO or MAYBE. Respect the responses by….taking more time!

10. Physycal hunger is a real thing, do I ever allow my self to be truly hungry or I just eat because it’s time to eat? Am I aware of my satiety cues? Who is in charge of beginning and ending my meal?

My closing prayer is to be compassionately in touch with our feelings, don’t use food to cover unpleasantness, open ourselves to be aware of our thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in the present moment. And moment by moment.
I acknowledge that there is no right or wrong way to eat but only varying degrees of awareness surrounding the experience of food. 

Thanking each and everyone of us,
Namaste’ Essential Tribe