Gratitude: F is for…

is for food

An easy place to enter a gratitude practice is in acknowledgement of the food we eat every day.   There’s a built in stop (meals) that can be helpful in establishing a practice. And it’s really not a stretch for most people to be grateful for something that is essential for their living, and over which so many of us have control to choose those things that please our palette.

I’ve often mentioned that one of the things I really delight in is my weekly CSA delivery of organic produce.  It’s a regular gratitude fest over at my house when I’m unpacking the box – it just feels filled with love.  Of course, lest you get the mistaken idea that my delight is reserved only for those healthy fruits and veggies, let me say I experience gratitude as well when I’m unpacking a bag of essence-infused chocolates.  I’m an equal-opportunity joy finder.  😉

Years ago my guides suggested it was a helpful practice to bless all food and water before ingesting it, both out of acknowledgment of the contributions of all involved, but also as a way to make sure I was receiving what was offered at the highest available vibration to me by making sure I was centered in my heart.  I love the practice of offering love and gratitude to water as well.  I always find it a delight to look at Dr. Emoto’s photos of water crystals. 

Taking a moment to express gratitude for food is also one of the ways to feel connected to the cycle of things, and that feels important to me.  The Earth that supports and nourishes the seed, the seed itself, the farmer or gardener, the harvestor, the transporter, the cook, the meal partakers.  It’s lovely to remember how much support we receive in the simple act of fueling our bodies.

I like this poem by Hannah Renglich who among other things is co-founder of the PeaceMeal Project.  

Poem for a Chocolatada, 2009

A toast to those who gather to celebrate the bounty of the autumn harvest:

Here’s to your health and well being. Here’s to long conversations

filled with the glow of candlelight.

Here’s to the taste of justice each fork delivers to the tongue,

when eating from the soil you have worked with your own two hands.

Here’s to ancient recipes for chocolate, and to those who pass on

their secrets to the delight of the rest.

Here’s to the pleasure of our five senses, which allow us

to find joy in an evening filled with aromatic, colourful, sensuous morsels of food,

prepared lovingly by our friends and family.

Here’s to the miracle of the seed, from which springs forth new life,

providing an abundance from which to sow the next generation of plants.

Here’s to future generations, who may know the blessings of

home-grown, local meals, sustainable food systems,

and backyard gardens.

Here’s to your thoughtful, caring company, which graces the room tonight,

nourishing our souls as we nourish our bodies.

As you celebrate, may you be filled with satisfaction, happiness, wisdom, love,

and above all, a sense of peace.

Do you have a gratitude practice around food?  A favorite food you love?  Or maybe a food-related song to share we can put on our spin list?  Do tell, you know I’d love to hear.