“The concept of wasted time does not exist for a serious meditator. Little dead spaces during your day can be turned to profit. Every spare moment can be used for meditation. Use every spare second to be mindful. Use all the moments you can [including when eating].” Henepola Gunaratana, from Mindfulness in Plain English THIS…

“[O]nce in ancient China an abbot was eating . . . with the monks in the meditation hall. He discovered a snake head in his soup. This was not snake soup; Zen monasteries are vegetarian. . . . a mistake is a mistake, and a mistake that ends up in the abbot’s bowl is a…

“We live when we eat living things. The fresher the thing, the closer it is to drawing its energy from the sun (or if it eats things that get their energy from the sun), the more readily we assimilate it, and the more we flourish. Don’t believe me? Eat fresh, locally grown fruit and veg…

“When simple sugars are consumed (and these come in many forms, including pastas, white breads, cakes, cookies, and donuts), your pancreas secretes insulin in order to do something with the surge of sugar within your blood. It works feverishly to reduce blood sugar by ushering it into cells within the liver, skeletal muscles, or, unfortunately,…

“[T]he point of good meals, full cupboards, or ordered rooms — is not just to provide creaturely comfort or to prove some sort of competence. The point of home is to be a refuge for the soul, a place where beauty can be encountered, truth told, goodness touched and known.” Sally Clarkson, from The Lifegiving…

We started “our mornings off with a shared breakfast before going off to our respective worlds. A nice warm meal most days  . . . helped get us all in a good mood. Devotions followed breakfast. They didn’t usually last long. Someone would read a passage from Scripture, and we would discuss it for a…

“Mealtimes at our house were most always media-free— no phones, computers, or iPads allowed— and set aside as a time of catching up and fellowship. This provided time every day when everyone could share their thoughts, their woes, and their stories. I think we built more ties to one another through shared meals than anything…

“Morning, noon, and night bring their own demands and practices, and a good plan will take these into consideration. Planning daily rhythms— meals, devotions, cleanup, bedtime routines— should take into consideration the abilities and personalities of everyone who lives in the home.” Sally Clarkson, from The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming  THIS…

“I believe every meal should be a celebration of life itself as we break bread and enter fellowship together. And the way those meals are planned, prepared, and served enhances the connection and the celebration. Every meal, in other words, should be a feast for the senses and the spirit.” Sally Clarkson, from The Lifegiving…

“Love is enfleshed in the meals we make, the rooms we fill, the spaces in which we live and breathe and have our being.” Sally Clarkson, from The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming  THIS IS A LISTENING BLOG, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S MINDFULNESS MEDITATION SUPPORT THE MUSIC MEDITATION…

“We don’t need to eat a lot to feel nourished. When we are fully there and alive for every morsel of food, we eat in a way that each bite fills us with peace and happiness. If we are full of this joy, we may find that we naturally feel satisfied with less food.” Thich…

“Pay attention to each spoonful of food. As you bring it up to your mouth, use your mindfulness to be aware that this food is the gift of the whole universe. The Earth and the sky have collaborated to bring this spoonful of food to you. While breathing in and out, you only need a…