Inner Work

For the week of January 8, 2007

Eating with Presence

Eating is a sacred, life-giving, necessary, and enjoyable act that enables us to fulfill our unique, personal role in the life of the Earth. But our food comes at the cost of other lives, be they plant or animal. Eating even the most benign of vegetarian foods, such as fruits or nuts, destroys their potential to grow into new plant life. Regardless of what we eat, we incur a sacred obligation to the life of the Earth.

Spiritual practices help transform food to the higher levels of inner energies needed for the growth of our being and for the spiritual economy of the Earth. One particular practice gives an immediate kick-start to the transformation of food: eating with presence. At its most basic level, this means to actually taste our food as we eat it, to be aware of its aroma and texture, aware of chewing and swallowing, aware of bringing the food from plate to mouth. Eating with presence helps us to appreciate and enjoy our food.

Because of the delight that food naturally gives us, we all too readily fall into identification with eating. The desire for food overpowers us into eating more than we need or eating the wrong kinds of food. In such cases we compound the problem by focusing attention on the next bite rather than the one we are currently chewing, ironically decreasing the taste experience and satisfaction we derive from eating. Because the whole process goes by autopilot, our food eats us. Overeating burns up energy we need for our inner life and damages our health. But we cannot give up eating altogether. And then when we do eat, as we must, the food identification takes us again.

To solve this conundrum, we not only fully taste our food, but we open to awareness of our abdominal region as we eat, for an indication of when we have eaten enough. By eating with presence we have a stronger, more satisfying experience of our food and, consequently, a diminished desire to overeat or to eat an unhealthy diet. Even if the desire remains unquenched, its power over us weakens in the face of increased consciousness.

But eating with presence is not just for overeaters. It is profitable for all who seek to fill their lives with presence, which leads toward the sacred.

Saying a prayer of gratitude prior to eating can remind us to eat with presence. It puts us in touch with our dependence on and indebtedness for our food. It reinforces our connection with the Earth. Ultimately we may eat with respect and even reverence. So, as you say your prayer before your meal, you can use the moment to come into presence and heartfelt gratitude, to prepare yourself for the sacred and enjoyable act of eating.

For the coming week, eat with presence. Offer a prayer before your meals. Notice your food and its taste. Aim to taste every bite. See how this affects your experience of your meals. Eating with presence does not necessarily mean changing how we eat physically, but rather changing our inner attitude and state.

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