It has been unwritten rule that food time is family time. But for the past few decades.. food time has merged into our television time. We no longer watch TV while having food.. instead we eat while watching TV. So, your faculties are not paying due attention to what you are eating and how you are eating. ( Ever noticed.. that we no longer chew our food .. as they should be)… Eating has ceased to be a ritual and has become a routine. …. ie.. Ritual is done with the awareness of doing.. while Routine is doing just as being done.
As I said earlier in Part1 and Part2 … lets not dwell in the mistakes of the past and wake ourselves upto the present . What I am going to say might sound silly… but take it from me.. its difficult… yes very difficult. Try to switch off your Phone and TV while having food( just 30 min.. till u finish your plate). It doesn’t matter if you are dining alone or accompanied by your family. Sounds silly isn’t it.. well try it and tell me how silly it was doing it.
The hard part here is to find a slot amongst the TV programs , which you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of eating-without-tv ( See how much our daily routine involves around TV programs.. news – sports – Sensex – sitcoms). Here is where all theory is suspended and practical session begins… If you skip these.. then few years down the lane I see you lamenting “I always wanted to spend more time with my kids and family but the work got to me.. I virtually had no time”
It may appear a lot weird in the beginning.. if you can overcome the initial glitch for that usually lasts for a week ( mark my words… just 7 days only)… then I can vouch that you will be enjoying your daily breakfast / meal / dinner / snacks.. It could be a cup of cereal – bread toast – or a full 5 course meal. Don’t tell your family to “Do this.. do that”.. lead by example. You follow this routine for a week… your family will join you one by one. its more productive this way.
…Now its upto you to continue…
As you rightly said TV and books are culprits when indulged during a meal. It is a proven fact that, watching TV while eating leads to obesity. It’s hazardious to health as well. With so many hugry mouths left without a meal a day, we are fortunate enough to have the luxury of atleast 3 meals a day and the best way to show gratitude to existence is to perform eating as a ceremony, consciously chewing, muching and swallowing every bit of it. The ceremony turns into a celebration when the family is around. It’s for us to choose.
Shiva..
//It’s for us to choose.//
Once this awareness creeps into our consciousness.. then the rest will follow.. with bonus
serials have cruely found their way into our day to day life and have managed to spoiled our dinner especially. Almost 15-20 years ago, we never thought that the colorful idiot box would one day become a side-dish in our diet. It was one of those school days, I had my last supper.
Prince
///we never thought that the colorful idiot box would one day become a side-dish in our diet////
hilarious yes thought provoking… but are we ready to live by example