Grow Your Connection to Food

We grab packaged food off store shelves packed in plastic. The inescapable pervasiveness of processed food has not only created a disconnect for us but also impacted our health, the planet's health and our ability to eat mindfully.
Studies have revealed that 60% of the calories are from highly processed food products. We all know that the processed foods are no good for our health but have you thought about how they impact our relationship with what we eat?
Imagine what all could change for you if you practiced the mindfulness skills we practice in yoga to the dinner table or the grocery store.
Most unwanted food habits are built unconsciously. The times we are truly present and aware, we avoid overeating, processed and unethically sourced foods.
As we are more attentive towards what we eat,  we inevitably increase our health and the health of our environment.
Yoga reveals the power of awareness. Yoga asks us to slow down to observe. Awareness can cure. Consciousness connects us to our inner knowing. Eating with awareness (or eating mindfully), not only impacts what and how we eat but how we ingest. Read about yoga loving plants.
Not many of us know the connection between the nervous system and digestive system. When we are relaxed and in a mindful state, we turn on our rest and digestive state. Only in this state the body appropriately and efficiently pulls nutrients from the food we intake.
When we eat in a rush or in a state of stress because, we say we are reading emails or completing an assignment, our blood moves away from the digestive tract. How will the body focus on digestion when it believes it is in a stressful situation? Believe me that our nervous system is like a light switch; one cannot be both mindful and stressed at once.

So, for many reasons, bringing your yoga practice to the dinner table has enormous advantages.
All good relationships nurture over time and with understanding - your relationship with food is the same. The more you connect with the food, the more body appreciates it. Understanding the efforts it takes to get that boring looking salad from the dirt to your plate can help you savor each bite with gratitude. It advisable that you strive to transform your eating experience into a ritual of pleasure.

Below are ways to deepen your connection with food:

1.  Head to a local farmers' market and meet the hard-working farmers who plant those seeds. Buy seeds online in India.
2. Get into the kitchen and cook. Make cooking an expression of creativity because the more we interact, the more we connect and respect.
3. The oldest and the best ways to grow your connection to food is to get down and get dirty, in the dirt. GARDENING. Research reveals that gardening alone can lead to incredible health benefits, like decreasing dementia, boosting mood, decreasing stress and help with sleeping habits. With too many potential benefits to list, a home garden is a no-brainer.

These are a few tips to get you into the dirt this season and grow that connection to food:

1. Start Small: Start with one veggie or herb. Pick something you enjoy. Plant in a place you will remember to water. Notice the satisfaction you get when eating this homegrown treat. Buy herb seeds online in India.
2. You can purchase small plants: Starting from seed can be amazing, and it opens the door to more varieties, but it's significantly more involved. Consider bringing home baby plants.
3. Think light, soil, and water: Since the soil should be nutritious, enrich it with compost. Place your new green friend in 6 hours of daytime sun. Set a watering schedule. Buy composter online.
4. Make a raised bed: Raised bed gardening allows you to control the soil and nutrient blend. Make your raised bed not more than 4 feet wide.
5. Have fun and practice regularly: Bring in the spirit of playfulness and an open mind to your gardening practice. Connect to nature and, just like yoga, let it be about experiencing versus accomplishing.

Reference: CO YOGA + Life® Magazine | Summer/Fall 2018