Three Breaths to a Better You

Eating healthy can present itself as an overwhelming and daunting task. We know that we have to eat the right foods for us to feel good. But the information that surrounds us about what is healthy and unhealthy is endless, contradictive and confusing. It only takes a few minutes of Googling, ‘how to heat healthy’ before feeling puzzled and powerless.

Eventually we realize that it is only ourselves that can truly determine which foods are helpful or harmful to us.

In yoga we learn about the power of the breath. Through breathing into each pose, we begin to see that the breath is what connects our inner world with the outer world, and our bodies with our minds. We know that the breath is always guiding us back to life, the present moment and the deep wisdom inside each of us.

Just as the breath is powerful in each pose; it can be just as powerful in our attempts to eat healthy. However, since we aren’t being instructed to breathe in each and every moment off the mat, as soon as we get out of class, we can forget or even dismiss the power of the breath.

My belief is that our body already knows what it wants to eat. And guess what, it’s definitely not chips, pop, or greasy nachos. It is asking us to be deeply nourished with healthy, whole and sustaining foods. I believe we are often just misinterpreting the signals the body is sending.

So how can we connect our bodies with our minds so we can choose foods that make us feel good? Breathe! Taking three deep breaths can make a huge difference in any decision making moment. Before you read a menu, breathe. When you are about to decide what to make for dinner, breathe. Before you take your first bite of food, breathe. After dinner and before dessert, breathe. Breathe before you enter a grocery store. Just breathe!

Quite often it is the simplest things that can often make the greatest differences in our lives. Breathing connects us with the signals our body is sending to our brains so we can make decisions that enable us to truly feel good. Just as in a yoga class, this takes practice, dedication and awareness. But through this we can rely less on contradictive search engine results and trust the real information within ourselves.