The Ritual of Digestion

I’d like to share a little bit about the Earth element’s role in the body. This element is about our ability to receive and process things so that we get nourishment. Adequate digestion allows us to have strength in our limbs and clarity of mind. It gives us “gusto” for life.

Just like in Western medicine’s understanding of the body, digestion is the basis of our bodily energy. In Chinese medicine, this is what is called our our post-natal chi, the energy that we make in our lifetime.

It is also the source of fluids in the body, such as those that moisten the tissues, the eyes, and the skin, as well as the source of blood. Having abundance of these substances allow us to feel calm, have clear perception, and to sleep well.

The organ network of the Stomach does a job we call “rotting and ripening,” and the Spleen is in charge of “transformation and transportation.” This is similar to what happens on the forest floor, when fallen leaves are broken down to create fertilizer for plants. This process requires heat, time, and quite a bit of our body’s energy, because it is a lot of work.

Digestion truly begins even before we put anything into our mouth, in the brain’s sense receptors. Notice that just the idea of food can cause our mouths to water.

The mouth is the sense organ of the Earth element, where we get taste, and the process of breaking food down into nutrients begins. Chewing is an important step in the digestive process. Here we use our teeth, lips and tongue to macerate food, shredding it into smaller pieces. Saliva contains enzymes that begin to chemically break things down, a process continued in the stomach and small intestine with help from the pancreas, liver and gallbladder.

The purpose of chewing isn’t just so it fits down a tube, but to expose the food we’ve eaten to all of the enzymes throughout the tract that will transform food into nutrients. No where else in the digestive process can make up for inadequate chewing. This is part of why eating when we are distracted or rushed puts a toll on our digestive organs, often leading to gas, bloating, and acid reflux.

Eating foods that are healthy for us is important, but so is the way that we eat. Despite the tendency to rush through meals, it is actually necessary for our bodies that we allow ourselves some time to relax. Too much stress in our lives takes away from our ability to digest and absorb nutrients properly. It is important for the nervous system to be in the “rest and digest” mode. This relaxed state allows our body to use its resources to move food through a long process of breaking things down and absorbing nutrients.

It is helpful to quiet the mind, not just to shift out of stress-mode and allow ourselves to rest, but because the brain uses a ton of resources. Thinking too much can cause us to use up the energy we should be using to nourish ourselves, so we can rebuild our bodies.

This is why eating meals can become not just a necessary part of life, but also an important ritual.

Take a moment before eating a meal to say a prayer of gratitude, relax your body and rest your mind. Slow down and enjoy the food that has been grown and prepared.

The next time that you eat or drink, I invite you to turn your attention to your jaw, lips and tongue and notice their important functions. Notice your senses, including taste, but also sight, smell, and sound. Become present to the world around you and the food that you are eating and drinking. Enhance the sensory awareness of these organs. Do an experiment: take a small sip of cool water and slosh it around in your mouth. Take a few more sips and each time, feel the sensations of your mouth, down your throat. You may be able to feel it travel all the way down to your stomach if you pay close attention. How do you feel after awakening your senses to this inner experience?

Noticing how we feel in our bodies before, during, and after we eat can help us to ensure that we have healthy digestion and are getting the energy we need to live our lives. Listening to our body can guide us to have a healthy relationship with food and with our own energy production.

If you need help with nutrition or digestive symptoms, please see a qualified healthcare professional.

Enjoy!