Mindful Eating was a relief to read. I came across this book early in my meditation practice, which was also about one or two years into my sobriety. It was the first truly humane approach to eating and having a body that I was exposed to. It opened my eyes to the spiritual implications of my relationship with food and my body.
Before reading this book it had not occurred to me that the ways in which I related to food and my body were reflective of the ways in which I relate generally to my life, my work, my relationships, my thoughtsthe grasping onto pleasurable experiences and recoiling from discomfort. I had understood cognitively that there was a difference between physical and emotional hunger, but this book deepened my embodied experience of the subtleties here. The tenderness of heart hungerour universal desire for comfort, joy, soothing, compassion, inclusion, visibility, and companionship. The ways in which eye, ear, nose, and mouth hunger can overlap with stomach and heart hunger. The truly transformative power of cultivating a curious, nonjudgmental observer while still staying very connected to the body and the present-moment experience.
Reading this book, I felt hope and deep compassion for our experience as humans. It married my background in nutrition with my new experience in working with my body, mind, and heart. It not only changed my personal relationship with food, but it set me on a path to bring these concepts and practices to the clients I work with. I wanted to share these messages with everyone! Jenna Hollenstein, M.S., R.D.N., certified dietitian nutritionist, nutrition therapist, and author of Eat to Love
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9 Books That Will Change Your Relationship With Food - Self
