Many people view eating as a time-wasting activity. The idea is to eat food quickly so you can get on with the business of living your life. Eating takes time away from what you really want to accomplish during the day. Eating takes time away from earning money, from improving the quality of relationships with family and friends, from earning prizes and accolades and from manifesting our passions. In other words, eating is viewed as a time-wasting activity that is required because we simply happen to have a body that requires nutrition each and every day. We cannot keep going if we do not feed ourselves. It is all a very practical matter you see.
Does this describe in whole or part your approach to eating? Think about eating from an entirely fresh perspective. What if the most important and critical action you can take each and every day is to be totally and completely mindful for a mere 30 minutes? This one action will ensure your body will be brought back into a place of centeredness and balance, a place where neurological symptoms have great difficulty creeping in.
When many people eat, they actually swallow their –
Sorrow or
Guilt or
Anger or
Fear or
Anxiety or
All of the above
Some people swallow their past as they reflect on past experiences that were unpleasant. Other people anticipate and plan out the future when they eat. Still others like to mix and match. All three of these eating rituals allow us to “space out” when eating. The magic of the present moment is lost. The taste and succulence of each and every bite is missed.
Consider recovery from any neurological condition seriously (and particularly from a condition associated with the diagnosis of Parkinsons Disease). What more critical action can be taken than to focus your full attention on what you are putting into our body and to be mindful of how you ingest each bite of food?
When we take medicines or supplements we are also eating! Do you like to get the business of swallowing medications over and done with? Is it an unpleasant duty to be tolerated? Most people just pop pills and that is the end of it.
I have a mindful ritual to suggest when you take medications or supplements. The ritual takes only 15 seconds. It is analogous to a blessing before you begin eating a meal. The practice has a profound impact on the effectiveness of whatever supplements or medications you might be currently taking. Try it out and you will see what I mean for yourself.
Place the supplement or medication into your hand. Say silently to yourself or out loud:
- “May this supplement (or medication) do for my body precisely what my body needs – no more and no less.”
- Pause.
- Take a short breath.
- Ingest the supplement or medication.
In other words you ask that the medication or supplement do for your body precisely what it is that your body needs now, no more – that is, no side-effects – and no less – meaning that is it has precisely the effect that you intend for it to have. This practice insures that you treat your body’s response to taking the supplement or medication with respect.
Be mindful with each and every bite you ingest if it is food. Be mindful when you take medicines and supplements. Be mindful when you drink liquids. Notice when you ingest anything and, at the very same time, do something else like talk on the phone or drive or walk. Catch yourself when you tag an extra activity along with eating.
When you realize you are doubling up and doing more than just eating – stop. Eliminate the other activity. Direct your full attention to eating. Be mindful of every aspect of the food you eat – its color, smell, taste, texture and feel. Be mindful of the liquids you drink – their color, viscosity and taste.
Notice how it feels to enter into that most precious, sacred vessel of yours – the human body. The body is precious. It is a miracle in the making. Treat it as such. May you have a magnificent week as you eat each bite of food mindfully.
Robert
© Parkinsons Recovery