By Michael Lloyd-Billington, Yoga Teacher & Personal Trainer

For many of us, the term “spiritual nutrition” seems like a strange pairing if not a contradiction. We tend to think of nutrition in terms of the body -- which, in turn, we see as distinct from spirit. But we also know spiritual traditions around the world speak of the link between diet and our connection with the divine. In this article, we’ll take a look at how food choices can impact our spiritual growth and some simple, practical steps for bringing this into our daily lives.

Perhaps the most obvious connection between diet and spirit is how foods impact our mood and mindset. We all know certain choices leave us tired or lethargic and that others make us feel “spacey” or restless -- all things that can conflict with our spiritual goals. We know feeling compassion, for example, can be harder when our stomachs ache from over-eating or when we’re restless from too much coffee. The Yogic tradition, which offers considerable insight into the spirit/diet connection, observes how even certain spices and forms of preparation can impact our clarity, mood, and vitality. Spicy foods, for example, tend make us more agitated, while leftover or overcooked dishes tend to be draining. Simply being aware of these influences can be a big step toward achieving a physical state that allows us to put our spiritual values into practice.

A related part is over-all fitness and energy. We all know certain foods are better fuels than others. And we also know our spiritual values ultimately require us to have the energy to act. When we decide to eat things that aren’t ideal, we know on a certain level we are choosing to limit the energy we have to live our beliefs. Of course food is also a source of great pleasure, and virtually all spiritual traditions would say it’s one we’re meant to enjoy. But this balance gives us an opportunity to examine our awareness. Each time we eat, we have a chance to look at how much we want to focus on ourselves and how much we want to think about those around us. By being more mindful of the impact of our choices, we can move toward a balance that runs closer to our values, choosing foods that provide the right blend of pleasure for ourselves and energy for service of others.

This brings us to another spiritual aspect of diet: obviously, food has a big social component, from the pleasure of sharing to sustaining and being sustained. On this level, every meal can be an opportunity to think of the joy of others and to nurture and feel nurtured. Even when eating by ourselves, we can take a moment to reflect on our connection with the many people who labored to bring food to our tables. Even those who support our own labor are present in that food through the financial support they provided. By thinking of this, each meal can be a chance to nourish not only our bodies but also our sense of interconnection, of belonging, and of support. And these feelings, in turn, naturally lead us to want to sustain and support others….

And the connection goes even deeper. Even in its most processed form, our food still holds a deep connection with nature, and, for many, with God or the Divine. Again, simply reflecting on this can turn each meal into a form of communion -- clearly a large part of why Jesus chose bread and wine to represent him and his teachings. Whatever our faith, each meal can be a sacrament, a chance to witness our connection with something “bigger” -- to celebrate it, to gain strength from it, and to reinforce our desire to honor it through our choices. Obviously, this is why every culture in the world has a concept of saying “grace,” honoring the fact that every meal is an opportunity to appreciate our community, our connection with nature, and whatever we might sense beyond that….

Ultimately, the more we see food as a blessing and connection, the more we want to honor it -- to make the best choices we can in what we eat and how we think of it. For example, part of the Yogic view of spices comes from the fact they tend to mask the natural tastes of foods and stimulate the appetite, causing us to eat more than we need. Choosing to lessen our dependency on them not only makes it easier to find a healthy balance of “pleasure” and “fuel” but also allows us to enjoy foods as they are. And the more pleasure we derive from foods in their natural state, the more we feel directly cared for -- again, by nature or the Divine.

So the next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to reflect. And remember that the choices you make -- whether in what you eat or simply how you think about it -- can be another big step toward living the beliefs you want to live….