Reading has always been a favorite pastime of mine. Curling up with a good book or a thought-provoking article truly feeds my spirit. Learning about other cultures, religions, and spiritual practices is such an eye-opening way to expand my horizons, to offer balance to the strict applied science that I employ for 40 hours a week. One of the most fulfilling books I've read is called "Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living," by Krista Tippett. If you're a fellow NPR nerd, you'll probably recognize her name. She is the host of "On Being," a show that dives into spiritual, religious, cultural, and scientific inquiries into what it means to be human. (This is my very humble interpretation.) In my opinion, she is one of the best interviewers out there. She has finally written a book to give us all insight into what she has distilled from the twelve years of conversations with scientists, poets, activists, and priests.
I could really go on and on about this book (and her show), but I won't. One chapter really stood out to me and happily is also the most relevant to what I normally discuss here. Flesh: The Body's Grace expounds the scientific and spiritual connection between mind and body. She discusses meditation, yoga, poetry, and... food. And that was what I really needed to hear during this chapter in my life. She discusses an interview she hosted with Dan Barber that struck a chord with me. (If you aren't familiar with his philosophy and work, it's fascinating; consider researching it when you have time.) Dan Barber is credited with bringing "farm to table" to the mainstream, but his work encompasses so much more than that. He talks about food in a spiritual yet practical sense. The science of growing food in an authentically sustainable manner, the process of cooking, the act of nourishing one's body through eating, are all moments to be savored. He explains that there is a correlation between how delicious something tastes (measured in degrees Brix, the concentration of sugar) and how nutritious it is. Now, he's not talking about donuts, obviously, but rather foods like carrots. I find this so fascinating, but also pretty discouraging. When was the last time you tasted a truly delicious carrot? They literally don't make 'em like they used to. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, I guess.
Another point that was really driven home to me in this chapter was the connection between what we eat, how we eat it, and how that makes us feel, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I gotta be honest with you, it's been a rough few months for us, food-wise, as I alluded in my last post. Sure, we've been eating some frozen veggies and organic, whole grain chicken nuggets as we deal with our temporary partial kitchen. But frozen veggies aren't nearly as satisfying as a big ol' fresh salad that you just chopped up yourself, or even fresh produce cooked in some manner. And frozen organic chicken nuggets are still frozen chicken nuggets. There's no effort, a lack of wholesomeness, less than stellar nourishment. And I am feeling cut off from my mind-body-spiritual connection as a result. It took Krista Tippet and Dan Barber to point that out to me, it was so all-encompassing.
The good new is: tomorrow is the big day. Soon I'll have to tools and space required to help fix that broken connection. I'll definitely be re-reading this book, especially the Flesh chapter, as I go along. I really encourage you to explore this book and see if there's something in it that you need in your life. There is so much more than what I discussed here. There is an abundance of beauty, love, and hope within its pages, which I believe we could all really use right now in this cultural climate.
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Have you read this book? What did you think about it? Is there a similar one you recommend? Have you overcame that lack of mind-body-spirit connection? If so, how? Or how are you planning on starting? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to hear of your experiences!
