#foodisbeautiful: the fuel
One of my favorite #hashtags on my instagram and on my mind is #foodisbeautiful
Imperfectly perfect shapes of seeded red strawberries please the eyes.
That nurturing aroma of freshly made chappatis gets caught in the nose.
A delightful CRUNCH! vibrates in our eardrums when we munch on a walnut.
Pomegranate seeds entertain our mouth as they explode their little packets of juice on our tongue.
And the most wonderfully smooth feeling of a dark purple eggplant as you hug it in your palms.
(My little brother used to call those baby sea lions.)
There is a “sixth sense” too. The unseen beauty of this food that only our cells receive the privilege to experience. Once the food enters our mouth, it begins its eleven-meter journey through our digestive system – We chew, we swallow, we digest, we absorb. Our cells shout in delight as the much-needed beautiful fuel pours into the body, charging up the systems, energizing our bones and muscles, giving us strength to run, jump, laugh, think.
“Food alone is not the key to health, but the WAY food is assimilated into the system is the golden key that unlocks the gates of health, of the body, of the intelligence, of the self.” BKS Iyengar, Yoga Rahasya Volume A.
Can you even imagine that beauty?
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Kurmasana – tortoise pose.
Sorry I’ve been hiding away in my tortoise-shell, behind the curtain of yoga, putting my head down and soaking up all sorts of knowledge that I am blessed to be given at this moment in time. Who knew I would become such a bookworm? Today I bought five new books and I was SO excited and pleased, that it was as if I bought myself an ice-cream sundae or a new dress. Nerd. Bookworm. Reader rabbit. Go ahead, lay it on me. Nothing can penetrate the tortoise’s shell.
BUT, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking of you all! I’ve been itching to share with you what I am learning.
THESE NEXT FEW DAYS, I’d like to share some tidbits about something I am really passionate about – healthy good-for-you food and nutrition. Not the boring, confusing stuff from the government food labels, (what do these even mean anymore?) but from ancient Indian scriptures, yogic teachings, and sweet Auntys.
What could be healthier than a dose of Hindu mythology, Ayurveda, and a grandmother’s magic wisdom?
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I’ve broken this up into three additional separate posts, which I will post over the next few days. Just so that I don’t overload and overwhelm you with tons of cool information. I can’t wait for you to read!
- #foodisbeautiful: yoga food. This post talks a little about how yogis view food.
- #foodisbeautiful: tuning in to the music. This post talks about naturally healthy food habits that Indians embrace to tune-in to their bodies.
- #foodisbeautiful: the holy cow. This post discusses some cool facts about dairy in India.
The source?
My sources come from ancient Indian texts, such as the Upanishads & Bhagavad Gita, wisdom from my spiritual Master Chariji, teachings from Guruji BKS Iyengar, Dr. Ali’s Nutrition Bible, and of course (the most valid sources of them all) grannies, aunties, friends, and experiences!
Hope you learn something new, read something you already know and then laugh because I am just discovering it now, and have something more to share with me. Feedback on this is greatly appreciated.
Miss you all.
Much love.
SONIA
GET EXCITED FOR THE POSTS!!
