When you are dealing with anything spiritual such as your enlightenment, being aware and present when you are eating is important. The way that you eat and how your body digests food will help with your overall wellbeing.
Being mindful of what you’re eating will leave you joyful, satisfied, and whole. Here is how to make that happen!
- Eat in the Right Place
Find a place to eat that allows you to focus on your meal and allows you to be calm and quiet. Don’t be distracted while you are eating. Put away your electronics and find a place by yourself that allows you to notice what your eating feels like.
You can share your meal with family or friends but make sure that you are talking positively and that there is softens to your talking and calmness.
- Eat 1/3 of Your Stomach
You should only fill your stomach with 1/3 of your food, air, and water each time you eat. You need to leave space for your food to mix and digest. The enzymes that you have with mucus will create chyle.
When you eat something dry, drink small amounts of hot or warm liquids. Don’t drink a lot of water before or after you eat, or it can cause your meal to put out your Agni.
- Palm Portions
People should only eat something the size of their palm in one meal. Your body and your size will depend on how big your stomach is and if you fill your stomach with 1/3 of the food, this should be the size of your palm.
Your body might need more food some days than it does other days, but this is a general rule and if you follow it, you will be able to visualize how this looks so you don’t eat too much or not enough.
- Stop When You Burp
You will burp when you eat, even if you don’t know it. Start paying attention to when you burp, and you will see it. This is called Udana Vayu, and it lets you know when your stomach is 1/3 full.
Don’t keep eating after your first burp or you will eat too much, and it can cause you to not digest your food right. Doing this can cause your digestive fire to go out. This means that you won’t be able to digest enough, and you won’t be hungry when it’s time for you to eat again.
Overeating can cause you to need to fast a meal so that your Agni can catch up. Notice your first burp and stop eating and see how you feel.
- Sit Crossed Legged
Eating in a comfortable position is important and you can learn to do the easy pose which is sitting crossed legged when you eat. This is also called Kukhasana, and it helps to open up the energies sin your body.
When you sit in a certain way while you eat it will allow you to know that your stomach is full, and it will help you to not overeat as much. Using good posture can help your organs to work correctly and it can help you to be more mindful when you’re eating so that you’re breathing right and not eating too fast.
- Yogi, Bhogi and Rogi
When you eat your breakfast, eat it like a yogi. This means that you are eating the right amount of foods that will help you to be active during your day. If you’re going to run a marathon that day, you need to eat heavier foods that are saltier and sweeter so that you can have the right energy.
If you don’t have a big appetite and you’re going to sit at your desk at work all day, you might decide to even not eat breakfast at al. Yogis are wise when they prepare their meals based on their activities.
Eating like a Bhogi means that you eat your lunch that will satisfy and please you. Lunch is the most filling meal and should be the largest. This is when your Agni is working its best. This is the time that your body will digest calories more and you should have foods that are yummy that give you energy but will be able to break down. Bhoga means “sensory enjoyment” and that means that you should really enjoy this meal.
Rogi means that you will have a meal at night that someone sick would eat. Roga means illness and rogi is a sick person. People that are sick should eat meals that give nourishment and don’t make the digestive system overwork. Eating things like soup or stew is a good idea when you are eating dinner. This is a lighter meal that will easily digest. You don’t want to go to bed on a full stomach and you want to enjoy your breakfast and not be full in the morning.
- Good or Bad Foods
There is no such thing as good or bad foods when you look at Ayurveda and all foods can either help you or hurt your body depending on how much you eat and what you eat.
You should look at your digestive system and your body when you eat. If you’re cold, eat cinnamon, dry? Try ghee. If you feel cloudy and tired avoid things like cheese or dairy but add pepper to your meals.
Look at your Agni and see what your environment is telling you when you make choices on which foods to eat. Notice your choices and see how they affect you. If you feel good after eating a meal, chances are you are balanced and in harmony with your food and your body.
Final Thoughts
You should enjoy each and every meal that you put into your mouth. Eating should bring you happiness and peace. As you are present with your meals, you will see that you can learn to eat foods that you can digest.
Listen to the way that the foods sound. Do they crunch or are they slurpy Listen to how you eat. Notice the colors of your food and see if your body feels good when you look at your foods. Be thankful for your food and the experiences that they give you.
When you are thankful for what you have to eat and you are being present, you will see that you can nourish your body but also your mind and spirit.
The article’s take on ‘good or bad foods’ is quite refreshing. It emphasizes understanding our body’s needs rather than labeling foods strictly.
I appreciate the advice on portion control. It’s a good reminder to listen to our bodies and not overeat, especially in today’s fast-paced world.
Eating based on your daily activities makes a lot of sense. It’s practical advice to adjust your meals according to your energy needs.
The part about sitting crossed-legged while eating is quite unique. I’ve never heard of this practice before, but it might be worth trying for better digestion.
The concept of eating 1/3 of your stomach’s capacity is an interesting perspective. It aligns with the idea that moderation is key for overall well-being.
I think being aware of when we burp as a signal to stop eating is quite a novel approach. It might help in preventing overeating.
The suggestions about mindful eating are intriguing. I wonder how many people actually take the time to focus solely on their meal without any distractions.