Today I want to share some thoughts about nourishing ourselves. The obvious sense to link to nourishment is the sense of taste, but really, we use them all.
One of the images that we have presented to us as a romantic ideal is the romantic dinner – fine wine, sumptuous food, candles, flowers and music – covering all the senses in one heady hit.
Whilst that can all be really very wonderful, it’s definitely a once in a while treat, not a regular occurrence
Given we need to eat daily, and we all have busy lives, nourishing ourselves can become an oversight. The mundane nature of, not just the preparation, but the mental labour that goes into thinking about what to eat, can really take the edge off our appetite.
The other year a friend was really struggling with food. She was going through a messy separation; she couldn’t see the point in creating meals ‘just’ for her. She was getting worried about herself and asked me for any suggestions that might help.
I suggested that she might try creating a pleasurable ritual around food prep and cooking, and to make enough food to last for a few days. This meant she was looking after her future self on those days when she didn’t have the energy to put in the effort.
I suggested she pour herself a nice glass of something, pop on some music that she could move to as she sliced and chopped, sautéed and stirred. Then, when it was time to eat, could she choose beautiful crockery to eat off, sitting at the table and perhaps lighting a candle, slowly savouring each mouthful of food, rather than wolfing it down whilst slumped in front of the TV?
She was resistant at first, but after giving it some thought she gave it a go. She was astonished at the difference it made. She went from dreading spending time in the kitchen and eating alone, to relishing her Sunday afternoons and evenings cooking up a storm for the week ahead. Honestly, I could literally see her sparkle, it made that much difference.
This is something I’m REALLY passionate about, because the kitchen is the true home of nurturing – be that self or others.
Today's Prompt....
1. consider how you can make what can be a mundane experience into an enchanted one. This can be applied to anything that you have to do regularly, not just cooking.
2. think about the tastes and textures that really appeal to you – what would be on your ideal menu?
If cooking isn’t your thing, can I gently suggest that you reframe it and consider it to be part of your soul romancing armoury?
Nourishing ourselves is so key to everything else we do – what we put into our bodies is the ultimate act of self care or self abuse.
As the t-shirt says… choose love. Whatever you choose to nourish your body with, do it with love for the wonderful person you are
Yogi Wisdom and Mantra for Day 6
