Help! I Can’t Find My Chakras!

Perhaps I can’t find them because I had to look them up on Wikipedia. Now that I have a definition, I still can’t find them. Perhaps they do not exist. Or do they?  You see, as a human being, I am generally most comfortable when I’m a seething mass of contradictions.

When I first signed on to this project, the term “mindful eating” made me picture people finding their chakras, in loose fitting clothing, in the lotus position, crystal jewelry, incense, chanting “Ommmmm.” That frightened me a little bit, as I am not, by my nature, a mindful person, at least not in the sense of really being in tune with, (and here’s the kicker), owning my emotions.

A few weeks ago, I watched a video on Dr. Albers’ FB page concerning pairing different types of chocolates with various yoga poses. I’ll admit, I thought it was a joke, like a video from one of my favorite satirical magazines, The Onion. If you are a practitioner of chocolate-yoga, more power to you. But, if you are more of a jaded, speed-walking, type A, for whom eating is an exercise in filling needs, and wants, with little thought to the whole process, then maybe you and I should talk.

Because although I might be described as a bit, shall we say, uptight, I decided for the benefit of this experiment to give mindful eating a whirl. In addition to the tips I’ve gained from Dr. Albers’ online postings, I’ve begun reading her new book, EatQ. (Note: I am not a paid employee; I purchased my own book. Also, when I think something suX with a capital X, I will tell you so…for example…chocolate-yoga.)

It seems a little bit backwards, reading the book at the end of my month-long experiment. That’s just how the timing worked out for me, but in a way, I’m glad it did. I’ve had several weeks to pay attention to my eating habits, to learn what triggers my cravings. And so I’m approaching the book already armed with a personal knowledge I would not have had, and am thus able to fully appreciate, and benefit from, the tools found therein.

Mindfulness is not the new-agey, chakra-balancing voodoo I feared it was. Not at all. It’s actually a very rational approach to eating, no gimmicks, no diets, just a very sane, logical approach to food choices that ultimately will put me in control. And I like being in control. So, if you’re hesitant at all, please know that there are strategies here for everyone, not just the free spirits among us.