There’s much to be said about the act of giving grace before you take a bite or slurp a sip.
I am not talking about a religious act of prayer per se. Instead, I mean taking a moment to be filled with gratitude for what is on the plate in front of you.
The nourishment you are so ready to gobble down and yes, even fodder from the most crappy, basic cooking, is still fuel — and you can make a difference, and make it better, simply by looking at it.
Whether you are grabbing a frou-frou take out from a posh place, driving through a shack built for fast food, ordering the tofu-kale-quinoa dish that’s supposed to give you spiritual enlightenment in each non-violent mouthful, or simply preparing a slice of toast with peanut butter… you need to stop and take a minute.
You need to give it some love, appreciation, and zap it full of mindful goodness, because, guess what? It’s going down your gullet — and if it had some good vibes sent its way, it’s going to be so much better for you than it was the minute before you gave it some attention.
You see we are energetic beings. We can use energy vibrations to not only help our digestion, but also enhance what we need to digest.
My Little Man scoffed at the idea of being able to make something taste better and make yourself feel happier at the same time just by focusing on what’s on a plate, bowl, or in a cup.
So, I decided to do an experiment with him.
Bear in mind he is not trained in reiki, nor does he know anything about Masaru Emoto’s work except to marvel at the pictures of the water molecules.
This was an entirely new experience.
Meaning, if this worked for him, then it can work for anyone with the right intention.
The Experiment
For this, we used an orange, a tall glass of water, and a jar of honey (but go wild with your own choices).
Next:
- Slice the orange in half.
- Divide the tall glass of water into two smaller cups.
- Spoon or squeeze a sizeable dollop of honey onto two saucer plates.
Mark one-half of the orange on its peel, the bottom of one cup of water, and the same for one saucer of honey.
Put one of each “half” in another room.
Place the remaining three items in front of you.
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and think of a really super-duper, highly charged, love-blooming memory. Hold that memory in place and allow yourself to “feel” what you felt than in that moment.
Let it seriously shift you into such a sweet spot, you can’t help but do a secret smile.
Then just like a sigh of contentment, send that loved-up energy out to the orange, water, and honey using touch, your eyes, your breath, or all three at the same time.
If you start to laugh because it feels silly, just go with it, your chuckles are a good way to send the energy flowing too!
Stay there in that moment for a minute or two, and don’t worry if the memory starts to fade, just allow the ripples of energy to keep flowing.
Now comes the moment of truth
My darling Little Man, my harshest critic, was sold when I then blind tested him on the two halves of each ingredient.
I asked him these two questions and the resounding answer was “YES”:
- Do you feel so much happier and grounded than before?
- Do the two halves of each taste different? Slightly earthier, sweeter, sharper, rounder — simply not the same?
A year on, and he’s more in tune with his body and what it needs, is aware of how it reacts to certain things, and knows that when he’s happier and relaxed, his body has all the help it needs to get the best out of what it’s given.
Whether you believe that you have the power to energetically charge your nosh, if you are willing to give this a go for a few days, the odds are you will consciously taste your food more intensely — and you’ll discover a new relationship to food, how it affects you, and how much happier you feel.
When re-fuelling becomes a sacred act of connection to the present, you have found a gateway to mind-body-spirit balance.
And it’s a very delicious experience!
– Asha Gill
This article is inspired by the Thich Nhat Hanh’s course, Body And Mind Are One, course of the month on Soulvana. Click here to learn more.
Asha Gill is an international television presenter and the host of Soulvana. Having worked in the industry for 20 years, Asha has interviewed the likes of The Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz and Beyonce. Now she is bringing her personal wisdom to her tribe in Soulvana, and her bi-weekly column on the MVA Blog.
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