Week Two: Mindful & Meditative Eating

During the month of January we are going to kick off a campaign of self-love and becoming your most powerful self. Food, Confidence, Magical Practice, Mental Exercise, and Manifesting your Dreams are just some of the topics we'll divulge juicy secrets about. Join in with #WholenessChallengeMagic on Instagram.

Comfort Food. We’ve all had experiences with this concept: the practice of consuming a food that makes your mind feel good in the moment. Then there’s her more sophisticated sister, soul food, which makes your mind feel good because your body feels stronger after eating it. These are both idioms of speech, & perhaps they are defined differently to you. The point is, there are two philosophies for eating. One is a temporary comfort that may not leave you feeling so delicious later & the other adds fuel to your fire.

We don’t need to go into detail to understand why eating foods that you just know are going to make you feel like you been deep fried later is a bad thing. But it’s not just that whole bag of chips, that double-quarter pounder with cheese, and that soda you consumed which was a bad choice; it’s the fact that you decided future you could just deal with the consequences because present you wants what you want. Those actions are disrespectful to the beautiful soul within you that is trying to manifest wonderful things. There are plenty of people in this world who will get in your way, but you absolutely should not be one of them.

Besides, you know already while you are satisfying one part of your mind (and maybe your growling stomach) that you are hurting the part of yourself that wants to live those enormous & lovely dreams you have.

Let’s talk about that glorious flip-side: honoring & loving your body & soul with gifts of nourishment that give you strength. Imagine you are an empress laying on 1 billion thread count silk sheets that swaddle a gold-trimmed bed in your palace room with wide windows letting gentle breezes caress your skin. You are vivacious & all who see your beauty & splendor are swept away in a tide of admiration and love. Someone is carrying in a silver platter loaded with foods as an offering to your hunger so that you may continue to radiate. What do you picture on that platter? Foods that are sliced and seasoned with care, succulent fruits & crisp veggies, all presented in a manner that blesses you with care & delicacy in preparation.

Now use that vision to create your own plate. The philosophy of this kind of self-respect runs deep. You have to dig into yourself until you figure out how to get it; find your motivation & passion to live in a way that supports your highest well-being. If you walk the walk (or eat the food in this case) then you are already that vision of loveliness & power you have in your mind. The key that reveals that vision to the rest of the world is time. So find your path & walk it everyday. This doesn’t mean you won’t get a little sidetracked, but remember that BALANCE is necessary. This includes the harmony of choosing a path that you know you can walk. If you’re not used to climbing up a mountain in brambles, then you might need to start on the sidewalk. Find YOUR steps to move toward this vision! And this is the recipe: the principles of WHY / HOW / MINDFULNESS.

WHY are you consuming food today? Don’t roll your eyes- obviously so you don’t die! But think of food as a tool in your day. Like how you choose different outfits for different occasions. Are you needing a meal that will get you through some heavy labor or are you just going to be sitting around? Is your metabolism feeling robust & you’ve got a hell of an appetite or are you just feeling mildly snacky? What about your schedule to eat throughout the day: are you going to be super busy and can probably only eat in the morning & night? These considerations about why you are choosing certain foods will help you start to understand the kind of fuel your body requires. Do research to learn about different types of nutrients you think YOUR body will require! Then make a grocery list & plan some time to make a meal accordingly & enjoy it slowly at the table / eat it out of a napkin while you run / throw it in tupperware for later.

Do what you gotta do- just make sure you have the plan to refuel your body at the appropriate times.

HOW you eat your food can really affect your success. Have you ever been presented with a meal that looked like hot garbage & lost your appetite? What about all those amazing food blogger pics that suddenly make you think you definitely want a whole plate of that pear & juniper infused chicken watsit? Presentation is EVERYTHING. If you have time, make your food pretty. Get little cookie cutters to make fruit salad shaped like stars & hearts or learn to plate your dinner like you’re at a 5 star restaurant. Don’t have time for all that extra prep? Get pretty tupperware for your hastily packed lunch, then.Just do something to let your body & mind know that this isn’t a cheap burger in a greasy bag- this is your offering to spirit.

We’re going to do a change of scene here & imagine something together now: think about where you would want to go to pray or meditate. You’re probably picturing somewhere quiet or full of natural sounds where you can be comfortable. This is the kind of setting you want to try & take your meals in. So figure out how to make meal-time special. Cut out excess distractions, choose somewhere clean, & make sure you feel comfortable.

After all, you wouldn’t want to meditate on a busy sidewalk or a dirty, noisy cafeteria!

Lastly, you want to focus on being MINDFUL. This means after taking your meals being aware of how those food affect your body. Do you immediately feel energized or did this meal give you a latent burst of energy. Does your body feel sluggish later in the day even though you got enough sleep the night before? Do you feel nauseous or have excess gases? These are just some of the post meal bodily responses you want to be aware of. Oh, it’s going to be trial & error! There are going to be days where you make the prettiest breakfast & then realize you are too hungry later & feel snappy. Or that extravagant dinner didn’t digest well overnight so you wake up nauseous. Just make note of these things & try something new the next day.

You also want to observe your MIND. Yes, your body will actually tell you what it needs. Remember, we all have an inner mama that guides & cares for us! So if you feel that you are having a particular craving, try to figure out what it is & why. Do you just want to eat but you’re not sure what? Try drinking some water or fresh pressed juice then see how you feel. Feel like you want sweets? Eat some protein to feel fuller & then eat a small amount of something sweet (protein with your sugar carbs is healthier than just plain sugar & gives your body a more sustained energy). Think of it as hacking or decoding your Hangry Brain. Keep a journal if you have to- or just take a pic of your food / drink choice as a visual diary.

You just want to use this process of being mindful to learn about what your body needs & how it responds.

Taking time to honor your needs through food and drink is a sacred privilege. It is weaving a spell to influence your day & it is honoring spirit. We live on an earth that provides for us bountifully, so choosing to take care of your body shows gratitude to our earth mama, to everyone we come into contact with, & most importantly ourselves. Do research, have fun with food, be mindful of your practices of consumption, and remember that you are an empress!

Resources for this challenge will be shared on the home page. My beautiful friend Ayodele (@bossybruja) will be my cohost on Instagram during the month of January, so be sure to follow along with her journey as she will be the sis who brings us all together. Feel free to use the ‘contact’ page on this site or reach out to me on my Instagram (@sage.skadisdottir) if you have any questions or suggestions. Remember, we are a community and we will strive and thrive together! Be sure to tag your photos / thoughts / videos / recipes or anything you want to share with #WholenessChallengeMagic