Yoga for Beginners Simple Yoga Poses to Calm Your Mind and Strengthen Your Body

NUTRITION

Eating Mindfully

There are several common methods that devoted yoga prac-
titioners might use to prepare or bless their food, in order to
eat in a more conscious manner. They are as follows:

TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE FOOD IN FRONT OF

YOU. Acknowledge the sustenance and good health the

food is about to provide you.

TAKE A MOMENT TO CHECK IN WITH YOUR BODY BEFORE YOU

EAT. What do you need in this moment to sustain good

health? With yoga you’ve learned to move and breathe

mindfully; why not eat mindfully, too?

EAT CONSCIOUSLY. Chew slowly. Try not to shovel the

food into your mouth.

EAT IN A RELAXING ENVIRONMENT. Do not eat while dis-

tracted. Turn off the TV. Put away your cell phone and

step away from the computer.

SERVE FOOD GRACEFULLY. The act of serving others is a

good thing for your mind and your body. Connect with

others as you eat your meals.

PREPARE FOOD WITH LOVE AND CARE. Think about who will
be eating the food and the kind of love you want to send
to them, even if it’s just you—you deserve love, too.
TAKE A MOMENT TO BE GRATEFUL. This can be a prayer,
grace, a blessing, or a moment of silence. Do what feels
right to you.
Above all else, stay present, and healthy eating will find
its way to you. Think of this as a form of meditation, which is
the topic of the next chapter.