After the past month of visiting friends in other parts of the country, being on the road, and then co-hosting a large family gathering, I'm thinking of how one continues a practice and healthy eating habits in non-routine environments. I realize that for most of my life I have let go of my routines when I traveled or spent time in other people's spaces. I am trying to amend that tendency because I love to travel, I love my friends and I love my practice. Giving up routines which keep me healthy should not be a trade-off for indulging my gypsy or my great joy in being with the loved people in my life.
The dilemma, of course, remains how challenging it becomes to practice if there is not space, or a quiet situation. Eating is even more complicated as it is a social ritual, one which I dearly love to share with others. The shear amounts of so much available food containing varying degrees of nutrition have given new challenges to all meal planning. Add to this the increase in allergies and restricted diets, and food choices have never been so complex.
We live in a culture of food abundance, so our new survival has switched from expending energy to acquire food, to expending energy to carefully select and manage what we choose to eat out of the plethora of offerings. When I speak of food abundance, I am referring to the U.S. as a whole, and do not in any way minimize those parts of the world where people are starving. It seems impossible that the 2 paradigms exist together on the same planet, and yet herein probably lies part of the clue to obesity and starvation both.
Returning to the subject of staying with a yoga practice no matter where one wakes up in the morning, I believe this is also part of the key to staying right on eating. I find, and I hope you have experienced this as well, that after my practice, my bodily desires shift. I feel less like eating empty calories, more aware of my internal organs, my interior self and less inclined to eat unconsciously. The simple act of sitting and breathing, going inside, offers us the connection to that part of our physical self which operates in it's marvelously autonomous manner. Bringing the self back to the self is the magic we can partake in every day, even if it just means finding a small space of floor to sit on, finding breath, and doing a rotation or 2.
In my family enough of us practice in some form that we actually practice together as part of our gathering. I recommend this to anyone wishing to enjoy the family reunion at a new level. It may begin with 2 or 3 people, but I almost guarantee others will join in as the practice continues into a tradition. This year we had so many family members joining in morning yoga, we had to crowd the mats. Our participation is growing, as the less inclined watch and notice how good the yogis feel afterwards. We have created a new little paradigm, which works like ultimate frisbee or a poker game to draw people together in an enjoyable activity. It is a relief to find a shared activity which is not eating!
One of my offerings as a yoga teacher is "special order yoga" which allows an individual to create a group and a time, and I will tailor a class to fit the needs of the participants. I've done this a few times in the past year, and it is very fun for all. You might want to lead your group too, give it a try!
If you have any inspirations to share about travel and social eating, post a comment!
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