Eight Fold Path
The Noble Eight Fold path guides the journey to wellbeing. It revolves around the practice of eight virtues with the objective of “cessation of sufferings”, and lays out the wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline we need to exert to live an enlightening, fruitful life.
It also deepens our connection and understanding of ourselves, and defines our relationship with all of nature including food. Our relationship with food should be balanced, nutritious, stress free, and nourishing.
Wisdom (Why)
Right Understanding
INTEGRATED WELLBEING
Understanding the Four Noble Truths: The current situation (truth and cause of suffering), potential for growth (path for and cessation of suffering).
FOOD AS MEDICINE
Gather knowledge to self heal.
Right Thought
Thoughts of selfless renunciation or detachment, thoughts of love and thoughts of non-violence, which are extended to all beings including oneself.
Food is the sustainer of life for all of us. We need to step back and see this from a more global perspective, then act on it locally. Develop friendship with nature’s offering.
Ethics (How)
Right Speech
When one abstains from wrong and harmful speech one naturally has to speak the truth, has to use words that are friendly and benevolent, pleasant and gentle, meaningful, and useful.
Here we put thoughts and words to our food experience. Write Food diaries or journals.
Right Action
Aims at promoting moral, honorable, and peaceful conduct. It admonishes us that we should abstain from destroying life, dishonest dealings, not helping others to lead a peaceful and honorable life.
In our growing love and appreciation for healthy, nourishing food, cooking is the alchemical way we transform separate ingredients into foods which serve us and others. Cooking is one of the most powerful healing methods we can employ for ourselves and others.
Right Livelihood
Happy and harmonious life both for the individual and for society AND all higher spiritual attainments by not bringing harm to others, avoiding excessive behavior, cheating, etc.
How do we create a life worth living? What creates a “fire in our belly,” literally and figuratively? Looking at that “fire,” literally first, Ayurveda teaches that you must respect your digestive fire.
Mental (What)
Right Effort
The energetic will to prevent evil and unwholesome states of mind from arising, get rid of such evil and unwholesome states that have already arisen, not yet arisen, or already present.
Practice mindful eating.
Right Mindfulness
To be diligently aware, mindful, and attentive with regard to the activities of the body, sensations or feelings, the activities of the mind, ideas, thoughts, conceptions, and things.
Be aware of your feelings.
Right Concentration
Attainment of Dhyana: 1) joy and happiness along with certain mental activities replace unhealthy thoughts like sensuous lust, ill-will, languor, worry, restlessness, and skeptical doubt; 2) “one-pointedness” of mind developed, and the feelings of joy and happiness are prioritized over intellectual activities; 3) mindful equanimity begins to overtake simple happiness; 4) finally, in the fourth stage of Dhyana, all sensations, even of happiness and unhappiness, of joy and sorrow disappear, only pure equanimity and awareness remain.
Meditate.