It’s all about Bodhi-building
My approach to nutrition and wellness is grounded in an integrative approach, based in science, but also drawing deeply on the ancient wisdom of yoga and holistic philosophy. I like to think of it as the Yoga of Eating.
But, isn’t yoga all about being bendy in lycra?
Although in our modern culture, yoga is primarily associated with the phyiscal practice - a sequence of movements designed to tune the body - the true meaning of yoga reaches much deeper, into all aspects of life.
The word ‘yoga’ itself means unity - meaning unity and wholeness within the person (of breath, movement, and self awareness) and with the world we inhabit. When we dive deeper into the original ‘eight limbs’ of yoga, the practice facilitates not only a deeper connection with our own bodies and spirit, but also with others, our place in community - and in nature.
The intentional movement of the physical yoga practice encourages us to unite breath with movement, becoming aware of the energetic flow throughout the tissues of the body. With practice, we learn that when we experience movement on this deeper level, we are able to tap into more energy, building strength, and allowing that energy to flow into all aspects of life.
Moving from body - to Bodhi awareness
Bodhi - to awaken from slumber, to understand, enlightenment to the true potential that is in all of us
Through the mindful breath control (Pranayama) and physical postures (Asana) of Yoga, we have one path to taking in and interacting with the life force energies that surround us. Through a mindful approach to food, we have another means of interacting with those same subtle energies.
Just as the modern world has us focusing on the singular, physical aspect of yoga - whether we are doing it ‘right’ and what we look like in the mirror - so it is with food. We have become accustomed to viewing our food choices through a material lens, what is this food doing for us physically, and what is the ‘best’ diet?
By focusing on this one singular aspect - this incorrect idea that there is an ‘ideal’ way of eating, or being in our physical bodies, we have become disconnected from our sense of intuition - what is right for us, in that moment, at this stage in our lives.
Yoga philosophy would say that it is this state of dis-connection, the lack of unity between our ways of being and our true nature - that creates disease (Note - ‘dis-ease’ - lack of ease).
As with physical movement, when we really pay attention to food, and the ways in which we interact with it, and our bodies and minds respond - we can develop a much more positive, truly energizing relationship with it.
This is not to say that we should dismiss our modern way of being and ‘‘go back to how things were’ in some distant past. For one thing, that is simply not possible for most of us, who lead modern lives with all its demands. But more importantly, we should not dismiss the enormous benefits of modern scientific knowledge and progress in health and medicine sciences - advances which have led to greater choices, and longevity for many of us. But we also need to be aware that these advances have come at a cost - of historically high levels of chronic stress, physical and mental disease, and harm to our natural world.
There is now a great need - for the sake of our own health and that of the planet - to integrate our ancient and modern wisdom. To strive for balance in the different ways we value food and our bodies. To better align our western ‘analytical’ muscles and our intuitive muscles so that they can work with us to ease our dis-ease, and put us back on a path to true wellness.
The Yoga of Eating approach encourages us to pay more attention to food - in all its dimensions
What is this doing for my macros? Am I consuming too many calories? Am I doing it ‘right’?
In the world of nutrition, we are particularly accustomed to thinking of foods as being made up of their physical, biological matter - percentages and grams of the macro and micro nutrients, vitamins and minerals that we are all familiar with.
We also like to think that we know how these physical attributes translate into ‘energy’ - though in reality we are not so good at this - after all, ‘calories’ are a concept borrowed from physics - there is no such thing as a ‘calorie receptor’ in the human body, and many biological and individual processes and variables affect the final conversion of ‘nutrients’ into ‘energy’ as we experience it.
This way of deconstructing food has become prevalent in modern culture, as - in the context of the current global health crisis - we have sought to understand the effect of our diets, mostly on specific disease outcomes, in greater and greater detail. Does fat or sugar contribute more to obesity? What is the most effective supplement for Condition X?
Of course we do need to ensure we are nourishing our bodies with all of the essential nutrients and a balance of macronutrients that works best in our own individual bodies, to fuel our individual lives. There are some circumstances in which it is necessary to correct a deficiency, or an excess, and some where a medical intervention is necessary - however mostly this can be achieved within the context of a well-balanced nutrient-dense, and varied whole foods diet.
Moving towards ‘patterns’
Thankfully, the world of nutrition is finally beginning to move past the reductive approach to dietary recommendations, and towards exploring dietary patterns - understanding the impact of styles of eating, within the broader context of lifestyles and environment. This feels like a step in the right direction - because our bodies (and minds) do not respond to individual nutrients, they respond to the sum of our daily inputs and activities (including diet, movement and experiences).
Yet it will take time for a fuller understanding to emerge with any clarity into the public realm - since it is a more complicated process to ‘prove’ the full, long-term impact of adopting a ‘pattern’ vs a single nutrient. How do we know for sure whether (for example) a Mediterranean Diet pattern vs. ‘Low carb’ is ‘best’? We know that each is associated with lower disease risk in certain populations, as in epidemiological studies - or in certain disease contexts, as in clinical trials - but it is not a straightforward matter to extrapolate those associations to other populations or environments.
What about where these foods do not naturally grow, or in healthy young populations? We simply do not know whether adopting the well-studied diets of the centurions in the worlds ‘blue zones’ will also lead to greater longevity for those of us whose bodies, minds and environments may be adapted to different circumstances, though it certainly seems likely there is a lot we can learn. Interestingly, what many of those blue zones share, is a diet based on nutrient-dense whole foods, plenty of gentle movement, and time outside, and a strong connection with nature and community.
In the mean-time, scientific results based on single foods or nutrients are much easier to convert into clicks, book sales, diet supplements and plans. The ‘bigger picture’ is a much harder sell.
A more holistic approach
In reality, our everyday experience of food is multi-dimensional - comprising emotional, cultural, and learned factors that do - and should - play a far more important role in determining our decisions than a list nutrients on a food packaging label.
Food has sensory properties that can stimulate different parts of our brains - not just taste, but smell, texture, beauty.
For many of us, food has deep cultural associations - it can be a lovingly prepared gift, part of a joyful celebration, a connection to our past and ancestors.
It is also one of our most accessible and immediate connections to our natural environment. By becoming more aware of the people and environment that nurtured our food, we gain awareness of our place in those systems. When we consider the human and natural resources that contribute to our food choice, we also tend to be more inclined to adopt choices that are more sustainable.
Putting it into practice
So what does the ‘yoga of eating’ mean, in practical terms? My ‘Bodhi workshop’ approach encourages you to become more in tune with your Bodhi - meaning not only your physical body (although that is important!), but more fundamentally your inner energy.
Instead of a focus on physical body goals (weight, size), we will focus on understanding how your body has responded to your food and lifestyle choice in the past - and use this to guide a nutritional - and movement - plan to harness your body’s own healing powers, energy and strength.
This might look like checking you are getting all of the essential nutrients, and looking at ‘macros’ - what does your body respond best to? But often it is also about looking deeper, understanding the (physical and emotional) drains on your resources, and aligning eating with the demands of your lifestyle.
Too often we get stuck in fixed routines, based on what we’ve always done, or ideas from others, or the media. When we truly lean into our bodies, paying more attention to ever-shifting demands based on our own needs for healing, schedules of work, exercise, monthly cycles etc., we hone our intuition and learn to fuel correctly for our own lives - linking food to true energy needs, and building a stronger system from the foundations up.
In this way, over time, your body becomes not the ‘result’ of a diet plan - but your best ally in shaping the future that you want.
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