There are 3 major guidelines for good digestion: The What, the When, and the How.

Did you know that the most important of the 3 is the HOW?

Digestability depends most importantly on your body’s ability to move the blood flow to the stomach to do it’s job of breaking down the food, mining it for nutrients, and effectively getting rid of the rest. When the HOW puts us in stress, which includes stress over eating and anything else that invites an unsettling emotion, it takes the energy it needs to break down the foods elsewhere so that it can deal with the flight or fight that’s been triggered.

Turn off the news. Take a moment to bless the food for its sustenance, take a few deep breaths, enjoy the colors, textures and aroma of the food. Take it in through gratitude before taking it in through the mouth. Chew your food. Feel that your food has found its way down the esophagus before picking your fork back up for the next bite. Your mind, body and spirit will thank you for it.

This one important practice will slow down your eating and amplify the flavors of the bounty in front of you. It will make you more productive afterwards, more able to digest life, and bring you closer to your essential nature.