Enchanted Membership ~ Eating Intentionally

This path entails not only looking inward, but also becoming aware & attuned of what is going on around you.

Becoming attuned to what is around you, includes people, leaves, trees, flowers, seeds, the breeze, and animals, as well as everything in your kitchen! 😁

The kitchen is probably the place we should be most attuned! After all, the kitchen is the heart and hearth of many households, and when we meal prep, we are harnessing our energy into that food; The food we eat and food we serve to our family and friends.

Any witch's highest calling is to achieve harmony not only with the things around them, but also with the things within them.

So this is an exercise called, eating intentionally.

Eating intentionally — think about how you want to feel and choose foods that align with that goal.

It’s about being present and empowered with your food choices.

Consider the last time you ate. You were most likely eating at your desk, watching TV, or scrolling through your phone. Perhaps you frequently eat as you rush out the door to get the kids to school and you to work on time, or maybe you forgot to eat while rushing from one meeting to the next-- gosh the day just got away from you!

This resulted in you inhaling an entire day's worth of food when you get home. Maybe even grabbed something junky on the way home because you were starving!

How did this make you feel? Did you get a chance to actually taste your food? Enjoy its presentation, its aroma, its texture? Did you chew? Did you even breathe?

We're usually so preoccupied with other things that eating becomes a secondary concern. Something for energy, not pleasure. Eating with that kind of energy has an effect on how we feel afterward, and chances are it doesn't feel great.

"BUT LAURIE I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT"

Take a breath...you do have time for that!

The whole, "I don't have time" thing is also a major reason why people neglect their spiritual practice.

Heck, I've even said it myself -- however, with my mindfulness practice, I NOTICE a huge difference in how I feel both physically and mentally when I take the time to prepare healthy foods and MAKE the time to enjoy those foods.

Consider food in a spiritual context, by doing that, it will be easy to incorporate it into your daily routine because, well, you have to eat, right? Why not throw some magick into the mix?

When you cook at home, your personal energy is infused into that food, and you have influence over that energy, allowing you to infuse intentions into your food. However, because it requires your personal energy, your emotional state is essential because it will be reflected in the food.

As I've mentioned before when you are ready to meal prep -- set the tone! Add music, candles, or any thing else that helps you get into a calm and grounded state.

Think about the end result you want as you cook and eat. Rather than scrolling through Facebook during your meal, think about your intention and return your attention to it whenever your mind wanders.

Awareness is critical for our relationship with food, and even more so for developing a spiritual practice around it.

Consider where the various components of your meal came from. Is it a seasonal thing? What benefit does it provide you? What effect does it have on you and your body?

As you eat, consider your five senses and how you experience the meal through each of them.

SLOW down.

Experience your food.

Pick up the food with your fork or fingers.

Look at it, ponder the textures, the shapes, the patterns...

Smell it. What does it smell like? Does it remind you of memories with a grandparent?

Now taste it. Don't gobble it up! Savor the flavor! The texture.

Be present with your food.

It can be a difficult (simple) exercise but keep practicing!

Feel free to share your experiences with eating intentionally -- I'd love to hear your thoughts!