Hello,
Friends.
Lately I've been doing this little gratitude practice before I eat.
And even though it might take me a few minutes to recite it here for you,
Once it's in your mind,
You can visualize the whole thing in just a few seconds before a meal.
Saying grace is a simple age-old practice,
But I've found it incredibly grounding,
Especially lately in this very difficult time in the world.
It connects me to people,
Plants,
And animals across the globe,
And to the earth herself.
And it seems like a really good time to reinforce that connectivity.
And because I found it so surprisingly powerful for myself,
I'm offering it to you here today.
In a nutshell,
It goes something like this.
Sometimes you say to your food,
Well,
You and I are about to become the same thing,
So let's hope this goes well for both of us.
At heart,
It's a gratitude practice.
So here's an example of how I greet my food before eating.
Wherever you came from,
Living things of this earth that I now call food,
I thank you.
All the plants that have journeyed from the soil to my plate,
I thank you.
Water and wind,
Streams and rain that have given life to these plants,
I thank you.
Thank you,
Pollinators,
Insects,
And birds.
Thank you,
Sun,
For making life possible on this planet.
And if this food is cooked,
I thank the element of fire and heat that made that possible.
If any animals,
Their milk or eggs or bodies gave themselves to this meal,
I picture you now,
Cow,
Fish,
Chicken,
Pig.
I look directly into your eye.
I feel your individual life force,
And I thank you.
If there are no animals in this meal,
I nevertheless thank all the animals that have sustained the human species for eons.
Thank you,
Farm workers,
Fishermen,
Machine operators,
Laborers,
Truck drivers,
And grocers for bringing this food to me.
And I try now to call to mind,
To picture one or two of you individually in my mind's eye,
And look in your eye,
And thank you.
To all those who have prepared this food,
I thank you.
And if this meal is shared with others,
May it bring us closer.
May all who are hungry today find abundance and nourishment like this.
With this gratitude in my heart,
I now place my hands over you,
Dear food,
And bless you.
And with this energy in my hands,
I ask that you attune yourself to nourish what my body needs right now.
You and I are about to become the same thing.
May I honor you by consuming you.
May I savor and appreciate each bite.
May we together invite more light and consciousness into this beautiful world.
Strengthened by you,
May I be a channel for love in all my interactions today.
Thank you,
Dear food.
May all beings be nourished.
May all beings be at peace.
May all beings be free.
Enjoy your meals,
My friends.
