Savoring Every Moment

For a Christmas present my mother subscribed me to a magazine about a meaningful and balanced life.  This magazine provides monthly yoga poses, vegetarian recipes, inspirational stories and an insight into the variety of spiritual lifestyles.  For example I took a quiz on Modern Ayurveda and my Dosha.  I was a little bit of everything.   I take on Vata's "Big-Thinker" traits and Pitta's "conquer the world" mentality.  So which am I?  A Big thinker who can't conquer the world or a little thinker who's only going to conquer a miniature version of the world??  And while I feel a connection to the earth mother Kapha with my love of hiking, walking, running, and climbing in the outdoors, Kapha is also a compassionate lovebug which has never been a term used to describe me.

Because I'm not ready for an Ayurveda definition on my life right now, I decided to try another method in this magazine.  I've heard this next "fulfilled life" method before but I never had the guts or patience to try it.  So I headed out to lunch today, chose a local deli, ordered the salad bar, filled my plate and sat down.  I picked up my fork, looked at a piece of broccoli and thought to myself

"broccoli.....green, ..... raw, ......fuzzy....... broccoli"

I put the broccoli in my mouth and continued to think about that piece broccoli as I chewed.  I was being fully present in this one piece of broccoli full of nutrients, vitamins, and God's good green earth in my mouth. 

Swallow. 
Repeat.

"Garbanzo bean .....round, .....creamy, .....nutty, ........ small ...garbanzo bean"
etc, etc, throughout my entire meal, repeating even when a repeat vegetable was found on my fork.
The concept is to treasure and savor every piece of food in your mouth.  Actually use your taste buds for what they are made for and not as a scorched landing strip for food with a final destination to your stomach.  This new concept allows all the senses in your body to be engaged and appreciate what you're putting in your body by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, and - wait for it......satisfying your body (and soul).

While I'm trying to find satisfaction in this moment at the restaurant, my evil twin is rolling her eyes and telling me that I am really very hungry and I should just chomp down on a fork full and get it over with.  She's telling me that I'll do this for the first plate, but I'm going back to the salad bar for seconds and I'm going to get that pasta salad with all the processed foods I shouldn't eat.  However, in the end, I finish my plate, I drink my tea and I walk away surprisingly satisfied. 

Satisfied with my meal, my self control and my commitment to an open lifestyle. 

-Rachel
Living Life to the Fullest and Savoring Every Moment!