Food is crucial to our survival. It nourishes and replenishes our bodies. But what about the other kinds of input and nourishment that are also basic requirements for our health and well-being.
- Body. Our bodies need a healthy balanced diet to keep us fit and well. Fresh food, vegetables, lean proteins, take it easy on the fat, salt, sugar, preservatives, processed foods. These all feed our physical health, growth, fitness and energy levels. They also support our mental functionality, our healing abilities, our quality of sleep.
We need more than just sustenance from our food though. For many people food and eating is a pleasurable part of their lives. They take pleasure in cooking a meal from scratch, take pleasure in sharing a meal with family and friends. Sunday lunch, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Wedding Breakfasts are all examples of occasions when people share a meal together as part of a celebration of their special relationships and closeness.
Exercise is also part of feeding the body. It stimulates the body internally and externally, massaging the organs, circulating blood and oxygen around the body, helping it to process its food.
- Mind. Our minds need to be fed an interesting, stimulating diet. Reading good quality literature provokes our minds to think, create pictures, construct scenes in our imaginations. We construct in thoughts and in imagery the scenes that we have read, perhaps playing them out in our minds, revisiting them later, exploring alternative storylines. Quizzes, jig-saw puzzles, challenging games like chess or bridge all require attention and consideration. These challenge the mind to think hard and concentrate, feeding its growth patterns with the regular stimulus and demands to concentrate and focus.
Our minds also need to switch off from being challenged on occasion. They need to take a break and have time out. This allows the mind to release stress and recharge, finding a relaxed comfortable baseline once more. Resting and relaxation provides a lack or reduction in stimulus and stress and, as such is extremely important.
- Spirit. Our spirits need to be nourished. Bonding and friendship, time spent with nature, children and animals often feed a persons’ spirit and inner core. Finding an inner sense of peace, quiet and comfort is very healing and supportive. Meditation, prayer, time in nature and complete stillness or quiet are ways to feed our spirit. Beautiful music and poetry can also support our spiritual sustenance.
Tending a garden or looking after animals can bring a sense of spiritual purpose into a persons life. Some people find that volunteering for a charitable role provides what they need in that way. Some jobs can feed us spiritually, but often there can be large elements that are stressful and draining too, as in teaching and nursing. Often there is a need for quiet time to bring a sense of spiritual well-being back into the role.
Attention in a loving way recharges our spirit. Being cared for, acknowledged, nurtured all provide valuable ways of attending to our spiritual needs and gaining an important sense of belonging, centredness and grounding. When a person receives positive attention and is cared for it can feed their spirit and fill them with a strong sense of confidence, love and well-being.
Susan Leigh, Counsellor and Hypnotherapist
www.lifestyletherapy.net