The pace of life for most people is quite hectic, and the act of eating is often rushed and undertaken without much conscious thought. Food has become “fuel” instead of “nourishment.” Instead of connecting to the food that is eaten, many individuals are removed from it, unaware of how their food was raised, produced, and prepared.
Food is a dynamic force that interacts with our bodies on multiple levels: the physical level, the mental-emotional level, and the energetic or spiritual level. Spiritual nutrition examines the interaction of these levels and explores how the dynamic forces of food communicate with the dynamic forces of each unique human being (The Living Centre, 2013).
Nutrition, digestion, and absorption are more than just biochemical processes. They are “coded with the energy” that goes into the raising and production of food (Freston, 2008). Healthy, nutritious food enhances the body’s intrinsic vitality rather than depleting it (Bourne, 2008).
Spiritual nutrition is a philosophy resulting from a broader philosophical perspective that includes the following themes (Bourne, 2008):
- Interconnection of minds—The realization that, although we appear to exist in separate bodies, our minds and our spirits are all one.
- Natural ethics—Behavior that is based on acting on the authenticity of one’s innermost nature rather than culturally relative standards.
- Reverence for nature and the earth—The realization that we are vitally dependent on the earth and must live in a cooperative, sustainable, compassionate relationship with the planet and all its sentient beings rather than exploit whatever we need (including other living beings) for material gain.
- Compassion—An awareness of the suffering of other human and sentient beings and a desire to help alleviate that suffering.
- Integration of the feminine—A movement away from traditionally “masculine” values (hierarchy, autonomy, top-down control, and exploitation) toward “feminine” values (inclusiveness, cooperation, interrelationship, nurturance, and love).
- A sense of inclusiveness toward all humanity—An awareness that all human beings are part of the same family, regardless of racial, ethnic, national, or religious differences.
- Voluntary simplicity—Cultivating a simpler life both for a sense of inner peace as well as a desire to leave a “lighter footprint” on the earth.
These themes represent a movement away from a materialistic viewpoint and toward a humanitarian-spiritual orientation to life. The result is a shift in the way we think and act (Bourne, 2008). Spiritual nutrition is one of the ways this shift can be expressed.
Conscious, spiritual eating is “about looking more closely at where your food comes from and how it got to your plate and choosing to eat foods that support life—all life, not just your own. When you eat something, you take in the energy that went into creating that food” (Freston, 2008, p. 101).