Eating as a Spiritual Practice

For most of my adult life, I ate meals while watching a show on Netflix, listening to an audio book, typing on the laptop, or chatting with another. I noticed the taste and texture of the food for the first few moments, but then something else “more interesting” or “more important” drew my attention. I also ate to avoid feeling “negative” emotions. I never considered eating to be a spiritual practice - an opportunity to be in a loving state.

The first time I can recall fully engaging in the experience of eating was in 2022, while I was living in Mexico, dining in a Thai restaurant. As the dish I’d ordered was placed before me, I recalled something Eckhart Tolle said about being present while eating. I drew my face closer to the bowl and wondered at the colours and shapes of the different vegetables, noticing how they interacted with one another and the sauce. I didn’t think “broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sauce” — I just noticed them as if I had never seen them congregating in this way before. I noticed warmth on my face from the steam. I drew my ears closer to the bowl, wondering if a Thai Green Curry might emit sound. I metaphorically and literally “breathed” in the dish.

I must have spent several minutes doing this before I took the first mouthful. My body tingled. I chewed slowly and experienced all of the sensations and flavours, and how they changed as I chewed and swallowed. I noticed how the gut felt too, slowly becoming less and less empty. I noticed about half way through the meal that I did not want to eat any more. I was surprised at how little I ate in comparison to how much I normally eat, yet how much enjoyment I experienced. I imagined I looked quite odd to the wait staff, and that brought me a laugh. I didn’t care — I was having too much of a good time!

While I don’t eat this way often, when I do feel drawn to, the experience is heavenly.