By Cheryl Keller,
Student - San Diego College of Ayurveda
We live in a culture that is saturated with food. Many of our social functions and celebrations involve food as a central theme. Planning a Super Bowl party? Better get lots of junk food! Thanksgiving, Easter, Fourth of July, almost all our national holidays have become one more reason to over eat. We eat on the run in our cars, we eat frozen foods, processed foods, take out, and instant. Where has all this lead us? To an overwhelming, confusing amount of information about “diets” Everywhere we turn we are being told which is the correct diet that will lead to a healthier, happier you.
The diets are wildly different, but most tell us what to eat and how much to eat. They are a one size fits all approach to food, that neglect to take into consideration the spiritual and energetic needs that we have. They do little to nourish the soul.
Ayurveda teaches us a conscious way of living in harmony with nature, and according to our own inherent nature. Food doesn’t just affect our waist size, it affects our life force. Food should be prepared and eaten with intention, mindfully, and with gratitude and enjoyment.
Ayurveda has a lot of “rules”. It is not a ” take the frozen package out of the freezer and microwave it” kind of diet. Foods are chosen according to the six tastes, the qualities of the food, the effect on the doshas, and post digestive effect on the tissues. And these choices change with the season, and with our prakruti.
Ayurveda reminds us that we are not only what we eat, but how, when, why, and where we eat. It reminds us that the most important ingredient is love and respect. And we extend that love and respect to ourselves and others, and to Mother Earth with the food choices we make.