A blog about bringing beauty, meaning, and soul into home and garden

Eating together offers us nourishment on many levels.  We enjoy the sensual experience of the food and the company of those around us. Unfortunately, sometimes we forget to settle ourselves before eating, and remain distracted, and so do not really appreciate our food or company.  Heading into the winter and holiday season, it is helpful to think about how to connect more during our gatherings around food.

Thich Nhat Hanh in his book, Peace Is Every Step, suggests these ways to bring mindfulness to eating together:

Breathe.  Try having everyone take three breaths in and out once people are seated.

As you breathe, really look at each person with you and smile.  Hanh says “breathing and smiling is a very important practice,” and one that many people do not do.

Then contemplate your food and appreciate it as connecting you to the sun and the earth.

Remember all the people who were involved in growing your food and bringing it to you.  Hanh reminds us that, – when food comes from far away – , often the people growing it are too poor to be enjoying the very food they grow, or they only eat a small portion so they can sell the rest to support their family.

Try to appreciate how precious it is to eat a bountiful meal with dear family and friends.  Hanh says, “When I hold a bowl of rice or a piece of bread, I know that I am fortunate, and I feel compassion for all of those who have no food to eat and are without friends or family.”

Talk of things that bring connection, not separation.  He says, “Some subjects can separate us: for instance, if we talk about other people’s shortcomings.”  He also reminds us to avoid “discussing subjects that can destroy our awareness of our family and the food.”  Bringing peace and mindfulness to eating together, we cultivate everyone’s health and happiness.

Many people this holiday are making an effort to buy more local food, or using food from their own gardens. In Michael Pollan’s 20 Favorite Food Rules, he endorses the idea of not eating anything that took more energy to ship than to grow  A friend of mine, who is growing her own pumpkins with her son, is especially excited about making her own pumpkin pie.  Food does taste better the more we are connected to it, and as family members, we are more connected to each other and our community when we choose to eat locally.  For more thoughts on this subject, see resources below.

Sources:

Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step, the Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Bantam Books, 1992.

Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Penguin Press, NY, 2006.

Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, Random House, 2001.

Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.: A Year of Food Life, 2007.

Anthony Lawlor, Home for the Soul, a Guide for Dwelling with Spirit and Imagination, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 1977.