Week 6: Breaking Bread Together Peacefully
Thank you for joining us on Week 6 of our Holiday Less Stress Challenge! Today we'll focus on making family meals a peaceful experience.
Nowadays, with everyone so busy, it's a wonder that we ever find time to sit down to a meal together as a family.
(Or just as a group of friends who live together - this can be any type of family you like.)
So when we do break bread around the table together, how can we fill our hearts with peace as we fill our bellies with food?
Dinner prep can often feel rushed. If someone has prepared a meal for the group, they're likely scurrying around.
Scurrying may bring steaming bowls of food for all, but how does it feel to rush into dinner? Not very peaceful.
So remind whomever is chef of the evening that their effort is appreciated. No need for haste.
Next, ask the person who is cooking if they can use some help.
Maybe not, though. Some prefer that the task of cooking dinner be a solo act. This could even be their own form of peace; quietly serving the group without a lot of hustle and bustle.
Dinner prep need not be confusing. It's just setting some bowls out and making sure everyone has a fork.
Confusion isn't peaceful. And avoiding confusion is much easier than we might think.
(This is good practice for the approaching holiday gatherings where we will sit and eat together.)
Once all plates are set and served, the time has come to enjoy a meal in peace together.
Before you start shoveling in forkfuls with great gusto, think of how important it is to slow down and be mindful while eating.
Your body is not equipped to gulp down large chunks of food. The slower and longer you chew, the better able you will be to absorb the good vitamins and minerals from your food.
Taking time to appreciate the mingling flavors of deliciously prepared food, is surely a welcomed, peaceful act.
Your body may not even know what to make of this new way that you have found to cultivate peace.
Eating peacefully is a wonderful way to show your body some love, today and every day!
JOURNAL IT:
Consider everything that happened around the table at the last family/group dinner.
Did the meal seem peaceful?
Or was there a tense undercurrent?
We can't control other people. But we can try our best to practice being more peaceful toward others, especially during shared meal time.
Make a list of things you saw happening as you partook of dinner with your family or the people with whom you live.
What part did you play in the group dinner dynamic?
How can you work on being more mindful, and sharing peaceful moments, when eating around the table together?
Write down bad habits that you would like to change in the name of sharing a peaceful meal with the important people in your life.
For my paying supporters: Did you download your Holiday Journal already (see post of Nov. 8th)? What do you think about it? Is this helping you to journal your thoughts and bring some peace of mind? I also strongly invite you to read the rest of this message to discover a new exercise and extra tips to help you integrate more peace into your holiday season.