My Journey with Meditation and Food Cravings
I’ve been wanting to write about meditation and how I got started meditating, for some time now. I started experiencing Food Cravings when I was in my teens, and that was one reason I chose to study Nutrition at University of California, Davis (UCD).

I wanted to figure out how to control my food cravings and thus be able to be thin and healthy. What I found was a different way of looking at it, but that’s a different post altogether.
You may already know that Food Cravings have a tendency to intensify with stress and social isolation. I had just started at UCD and was getting adjusted to school, leaving friends behind and starting anew. My Food Cravings at that time were more of a problem for me as it was a transition time and I was under stress.

I also had food sensitivities and allergies, which often go together with food cravings. The good part of this is that I was introduced to Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and Meditation, all of which helped me recover from Food Cravings, food sensitivities and food allergies.

At UC Davis, the science courses were intense, and it was common to start studying on Friday night for the following week. I wasn’t having any fun!  A very wise teacher of mine (outside of school) kept suggesting that I meditate to help with my cravings and stress. I resisted, I didn’t have time, what would I do and how could it benefit me? But, I trusted this teacher, and after a while I gave it a shot, and I’ve been ‘hooked’ ever since.

It really helped me with my Food Cravings, not specifically, but over time because I was training my nervous system to let go of stress. I have been meditating daily since and have no plans to stop. Why wouldn’t I? It makes me feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It reduces stress, helps with deeper sleep and I am just happier when I do it. On the few days I’ve skipped it by accident (I realize, oops did I meditate?) I noticed the difference, and found a way to get my meditation in before going to bed. If I made it into bed, I couldn’t sleep well, and remembered. Over the last few decades of daily meditation, I can count on ONE hand how many times I forgot and did my meditation when I figured it out.

So, what about Mindfulness, Meditation and Food Cravings?

Mindfulness meditation doesn’t always have to just be about sitting quietly. We can be mindful as we eat too, otherwise known as eating meditation. Being aware of our thoughts, breathing, feelings and body sensations can help us return to a more calm space, and find a new relationship with food, a more natural one. Being mindful in this way can help us enjoy food more, especially the taste and textures. This is a whole other post, but I did want to mention it here.

Another way to explore one’s relationship to food is to go on a silent meditation retreat. There you have the opportunity to be very mindful of your eating. If you’re having a craving for something that is not on the menu, you have the opportunity to be with that feeling and explore it, move through it, etc.

You literally ‘sit’ with the craving, and often you can find what the craving is really about. It could be about feeling lonely, or sad, frustrated or tired, or any number of things. The great thing about meditating when you’re experiencing a craving, is that once you have the insight into it’s source, the craving often fades. It’s like the signal is heard and the sound fades away. Your body / mind was sending a signal, and you were willing enough and quiet enough to hear it, and then the feeling passed, and you find peace. The good thing is, you can do this at home too, it’s just more focused and deep on retreat. So the next time you feel a craving coming on, see if you can find some time and space to have a quick meditation, it can help.
Meditation in Your Daily Life

One of the best places on the planet to learn meditation or to do an extended silent or one day retreat is Spirit Rock in Woodacre, CA. I feel spoiled as I live nearby, but people travel from around the world to visit Spirit Rock. So, consider adding meditation to your daily routine, if you don’t do it already. The benefits are endless, and they are difficult to put into words. Beyond the health benefits, it sharpens one’s mind and creates more ease. And, it may just help with Food Cravings. So enjoy, it’s free!

If meditation has helped you in any way, please let us know by leaving a comment.  If you’d like help in being free of your food cravings, I can help. It took me many years to learn the tools, but now you can benefit in hours.

You can also sign up below for my free tips to help you made peace with food below. I send free tips to your inbox we every other week, and it’s free!

Yours in Health,