Mindful Eating Ritual

Ayurveda teaches that eating is a sacred act, an offering made into the internal digestive fire in much the same way that offerings are made into external sacrificial fires.

Before the Meal:

• Begin with your morning routine, paying attention to urine, feces, and tongue for signs of ama (toxins from improperly digested food).
• Urine should be clear and beer-colored; feces should be light brown with the consistency of a ripe banana.
• Any substantial coating on the tongue indicates ama toxins.
• When signs of ama appear (including nausea or heaviness of limbs), fast for the day or at least skip a meal.
• Never eat when not physically hungry. Never eat when angry, depressed, bored, or emotionally unstable, or immediately after physical exertion.
• Bathe or at least wash hands, face, and feet before eating.

During the Meal:

• Sit while eating in an isolated, clean area. Face east if possible.
• Eat alone or with people you know and trust.
• Chew before meals some ginger sliced into thin strips, marinated in lemon juice with an optional pinch of rock salt. Pitta-provoked people should omit this step.
• Concentrate on your meal. No TV, radio, stereo, or conversation should distract.
• Observe silence while eating; chat afterward.
• Chew each morsel slowly and attentively, many times.
• When feasible, eat with your hands so skin can send temperature and texture cues to your brain.

After the Meal:

• Drink a mixture of yogurt churned with water to support digestive fire.
• Give thanks, clean your mouth, apply water to your eyes to prevent weakening of vision from increased Pitta.
• Take a brief walk to promote digestion.
• Avoid exercise or sex within an hour of food, and sleeping or studying within two hours.
• If you have overeaten, lie on your left side for a few minutes (without sleeping) to keep the right nostril working and digestion hot.

Your biggest meal of the day should ideally be at noon, when your digestive fire is strongest. Eat nothing after sunset if possible; if you must eat at night, make it light.

• Kapha types: Should eat one big meal and one smaller meal each day, allowing at least a six-hour gap between meals. Should not snack.
• Pitta types: Can schedule three meals daily with gaps of four to six hours between them. May snack if they retain a consistent four-hour gap.
• Vata types: Should always eat small meals three or four times a day and may snack as needed, with gaps of at least two hours.

No one should allow less than two hours between any two meals or snacks, because the gut requires at least this much time to ready itself for the next food deposit.

After eating, drink a mixture of yogurt churned with water to support your digestive fire. People with weak digestion should use non-fat yogurt in a 1:4 proportion of yogurt to water; those with stronger digestion may use normal yogurt in a proportion of up to 1:1.

• Vata: Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Spice with fresh diced ginger or chilies, or whole or powdered cumin and coriander.
• Pitta: Use coriander leaf or seed, or cardamom powder, with less lemon juice and some sweetener like maple syrup or sugar.
• Kapha: Use honey with powdered ginger or black pepper, or other hot spices like diced green chilies.

Anyone allergic to dairy products should omit this step. Some ancient authorities suggest all dairy products should be avoided at a meal in which flesh is consumed.