The yin and yang of mindful eating
Finding balance of the masculine and feminine energies and what we inherently know about eating for our body
Making changes to one of the largest relationships in our life comes with unveiling deep rooted beliefs, limiting beliefs, and old thought patterns that creep in.
Yin and Yang are Taoist concepts that are used to describe the existence of relative qualities that exist in everything. Together they are two parts woven together as an indivisible whole.
We all posses qualities of the masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) in our bodies. Together, they create the union to sustain balance and harmony in all areas of our lives. They are represented in the cycles of waking and sleeping, work and rest, the seasons, life and death. These energies exist in our daily habits and activities. Eating, one of our most regular activities, can be a tool for better understanding yin and yang within ourselves and as a way to bring us back to center in a calculated, compassionate manner.
The Yang, or sun side can be thought of as the more activating side. Yang controls the strengthening and stamina building of the body, and helps with metabolism and digestion. It is the willpower and focus that helps us complete tasks, and the determination to keep going when things seem challenging.
In yoga, you may see this represented by vinyasa and power classes, and poses that focus on warming the body. Ujjayi breath is also known as the “breath of fire” and supports heating the body, and connecting breath and movement allow for improved respiration and circulation.
The yin, or moon side can be thought of as the gentler, relaxing forces. Yin calms the mind and body and allows for mental chatter to settle and intuition to come forth. Allowing the body to slow down and take rest is what it needs to absorb the more invigorating practices, nourish the system, and keep our health in check.
There is a whole practice known as Yin yoga, focused on gentle stretching of the muscles, promoting flexibility and release of tension. Use of props, meditation, or breathwork can all be a ways to ease the body with yin energy. Just as we need sleep nightly in order for productivity, we need yin and the gentle side to allow us to tune into comfort to balance stressors.
In US diet and weight loss culture, we see an excess of masculine energy. Fad diets and cleanses and celebrity beauty standards set this idea that their is a “quick fix” to weight loss. What they fail to remind us, is that self-esteem, joy, and confidence doesn’t come from a number on the scale.
When we eat, we can use the yin/yang concept for ensuring we balance the needs of our body with the goals we seek.
It is important to take pause and make sure you know what you are putting in your body each and every day in order to practice gratitude for where we maybe aren’t listening to our bodies fully to begin to create new patterns.
Yoga is the reminder that we are whole and complete as we are, and rather if we are not feeling ourselves, we have to remove the beliefs, patterns, or relationships that no longer serve us.
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The masculine energy gives us the idea that we always need to be working hard and pushing ourselves ALL the time to meet our goals. And yes, it is necessary to stay focused on our goals.
It also requires softness. Patience when things are challenging. Compassion for not having it all figured out (psst. none of us do ;))
The yin energy allows you to sit in emotions with calm and compassion, in the hopes of quieting the ego to listen to the heart.
Understanding these qualities and how they show up in our daily food behaviors and food habits is a great way to examine where we may be imbalanced in our lives and where we may (knowingly or unknowingly) be sabotaging our health goals. It eliminates “right and wrong behavior” and rather, “balanced or unbalanced”
Through practice, we can gain understanding of how to start to shift this in a compassionate way and start to exhibit behaviors.
Ways in which you can start to find balance through yin
Practice patience
BREATHE. Changing old behaviors and releasing thought processes that no longer serve may challenge us in the beginning because it is moving out of our comfort zone into something new. Having that gentle reminder that slip-ups may happen or things we thought would work don’t, and they can be an opportunity for understanding and moving forward.
Move emotions out of the way
Take pause. What is the body saying ? Are you hungry, thristy? Or perhaps bored or sad? excited or stressed ? try to identify any emotions that are showing up so they can be addressed and experienced before going to eat. When strong emotions are activated, logical reasoning can be distorted, and the emotional state of your body may influence our eating behaviors more easily.
Meditate
Have you ever really thought of all the ways in which one single food item can nourish your body? Say, a piece of fruit. Packed with nutrients and a great source of dietary fiber, one apple has so many benefits for the body. Before consuming your next meal, take a moment to really think about and bring gratitude for what your food is providing your body in nourishment.
Journal
Yin requires us to slow down and examine facts and experiences so we can know if they are self-supporting or not. So often, I hear people acknowledge that they need to make changes, but can’t actually give you specifics of what they would do. Without a plan, it can be that much harder to make changes.
Why am I eating this food ? Is it brining joy now for my mind and body ?
What feelings will these eating habits bring me in an hour ? Next week ? In essence, does this align with my overall wellness goals and make me feel good.
Slow down
How often are you crunched for time so you grab your bags in a hurry out the door, grab something “quick” on the way to work for breakfast, and then eat through lunch ? Maybe, you’ve experienced something similar to this. Even just being on your phone is a huge distraction to the mind-body connection to eating. Allow eating to be its own activity and you’ll be surprised how much more in tune you’ll find yourself!
Lay on your left side
Perhaps you’ve hears the phrase “rest and digest".” Giving your body space after you eat can allow for the body to work on digesting food without exerting energy elsewhere
All the information on websites and social media can feel overwhelming. Maybe though, you already have the information you need and you just need to incorporate slowing down and tuning in with yin practices to restore harmony and find your inner voice.
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