Spiritual Nutrition: How Food Choices Can Fuel Inner Growth

For many of us, the term “spiritual nutrition” seems like a strange pairing, if not a contradiction. We tend to think of nutrition in terms of the body, which in turn we see as distinct from spirit. But we also know traditions around the world speak of the link between food choices and our connection with the divine. In this article, we’ll look at how diet can impact our spiritual growth and some simple, practical steps for bringing this into our daily lives.

Perhaps the most obvious connection between diet and spirit is how food impacts our mood and mindset. We all know certain choices can leave us tired or lethargic while others make us “spacey” or restless — all things that can conflict with our spiritual goals. We know compassion can be harder when our stomachs ache from over-eating or when we’re restless from too much coffee. The Yogic tradition, which offers considerable insight into the connection between spirit and diet, observes how certain spices and forms of preparation can impact our clarity, mood, and vitality. Spicy foods, for example, tend make us more agitated, while leftover or overcooked dishes tend to be draining. Simply being aware of this can be a big step toward achieving a mental state that allows us to put our spiritual values into practice.

A related issue, of course, is over-all fitness and energy. We all know certain foods serve better than others when it comes to providing energy and health. And we also know our spiritual values ultimately require us to have the energy to act. When we decide to eat things that aren’t ideal, we know on a certain level we are choosing to limit the energy we have to live our beliefs. Of course food is also a source of pleasure, and virtually all spiritual traditions would say it’s something we’re meant to enjoy. But this complex balance between “food as fuel” and “food as fun” gives us an opportunity to examine our self-awareness. Each time we eat, we have a chance to look at how much we wish to focus on our own pleasure and how much we want to think about serving those around us. By being more mindful, we can move toward a balance that runs closer to our beliefs, choosing foods that provide the right blend of pleasure and energy for service of others.

This brings us to another spiritual aspect of diet, namely the highly social nature of eating. From the pleasure of sharing with others to the act of sustaining and being sustained, food nurtures our social connections as surely as it does our bodies. On this level, every meal can be an opportunity to think of the joy of others and to deepen and expand our social bonds. Even when eating alone, we can take a moment to reflect on our connection with the many people who labored to bring that food to our tables. Even those who support our labor are present through the financial support they provided. By thinking of this, each meal can be a chance to nourish not only our bodies but also our sense of interconnection, of belonging, and of being supported. And these feelings, in turn, naturally lead us to want to sustain and support others….

Taking this interconnection to the next level, food also represents a direct connection to the world as a whole. Even in its most processed form, our food still holds a deep connection with nature, and, for many, with God or the Divine. Again, simply reflecting on this can turn each meal into a form of communion — clearly a large part of why Jesus chose bread and wine to represent him and his teachings. Whatever our faith, each meal can be a sacrament, a chance to witness our connection with something “bigger” — to celebrate it, to gain strength from it, and to reinforce our desire to honor it through our choices. Obviously, this is why every culture has a concept of saying “grace,” seeing each meal as an opportunity to appreciate our community, our connection with nature, and whatever we might sense beyond that….

Ultimately, the more we see food as a blessing and connection, the more we will want to honor it — to make the best choices we can in what we eat and how we think of it. For example, part of the Yogic view of spices comes from the fact they tend to mask the natural tastes of foods and stimulate the appetite, causing us to eat more than we need. Choosing to lessen our dependency on them not only makes it easier to find a healthy balance of “pleasure” and “fuel” but also allows us to enjoy foods as they are. And the more pleasure we derive from foods in their natural state, the more we feel directly cared for — again, by nature or the Divine.

So the next time you sit down for a meal, take a moment to reflect. And remember that the choices you make — both in what you eat and also in how you think about it — can be another significant step toward embodying the principles by which you wish to live….

Spirituality & Fitness

As a teacher of meditation and Eastern thought, I find it interesting how many students are surprised when they learn I’m also a personal trainer. Obviously for many in our culture spirituality and fitness seem at best “strange bedfellows” if not outright opposites. And yet numerous spiritual traditions around the world have spoken of the connection between care for our bodies and our capacity to live our spiritual beliefs. In this article, I’d like to explore that connection and share some thoughts on how our views of spirit can strengthen our approach to exercise, as well as how our fitness programs can become a powerful part of our work toward inner growth….

Again, for many of us, the first step to exploring this connection is overcoming our sense the two are unrelated or even antithetical. I believe this feeling stems largely from the fact that in recent years exercise and fitness have become increasingly associated with pretty superficial goals.  More and more, we think of working out as something we do to get lean or to put on muscle – objectives which clearly fly in the face of spiritual values.  But of course, we all realize that exercise does so much more than make us “look better.”  Obviously, our fitness programs contribute immensely to our general health, as well as our physical capacity – both of which are at least beneficial to our spiritual work, if not crucial.

But there is actually far more to the link between fitness and spirit.  One of the traditions that have most deeply explored this connection is Yoga. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali refers to a concept known as atmadarshana yogyatvani, or “fitness for observation of the Soul.”  Now, obviously, he isn’t referring to how many push-ups we can do.  But there’s an important allusion in the term to the relationship between our physical being and our mental capacity, including how our psychological state influences our ability to move forward, spiritually.

We all know what it’s like to have the state of our bodies influence or even over-ride our intentions.  We’ve all had moments – probably very many, in fact – when we’ve been less patient or kind or present than we wanted to be simply because our bodies were tired or ill or simply not feeling good.  We’ve all had moments when we’ve compromised values or failed to live up to them because our heads were a little less clear due to choices in diet or lifestyle or our bodies were “out of sorts.”  The fact is, when we fail to care for our bodies it has a direct impact on our states of mind.  And when our minds are not clear, it is extremely difficult or even impossible to live our spiritual beliefs.

By contrast, the Yogis realized that, when our bodies are healthy and peaceful, our minds naturally become more clear and controlled.  And when our minds are centered, it is much, much easier for us to hold on to and work toward our values.  To give a more concrete sense of this, I’d encourage you to try the following “inner experiment:”

Start by taking a moment to think of a part of your life in which you’re currently feeling challenged – it can be at work, with a spouse or partner, with a child or parent.  Take a moment to observe how you find yourself thinking about the person or people involved – including yourself….

Now imagine what it would be like if you suddenly had, say, 50% more energy – physically, mentally, emotionally….  What if, instead of feeling tired or frayed or “just holding together,” you felt vital and buoyant and alive and filled with reserves of strength – how would your feelings toward that person or those people change?  How different would you feel about yourself?  About your life?

My suspicion is that, even in imagining it now, you can see that both your inner and outer response would be radically different.  In fact, I suspect it would be fair to say that, if you simply felt better and had more energy, both your outlook and your actions would be much more in line with your values and beliefs.

The fact is, when our bodies are more strong and capable, our minds are as well.  And when our bodies are functioning closer to the fashion for which they were designed, it is easier for us to both remember and to make real our spiritual principles.  Ultimately, you could say, when our bodies are more fit and healthy, it is easier for us to see and honor the spirit within us as well as the spirit around us – and that is atmadarshana yogyatvani….

Obviously, once we realize this, our exercise programs take on a whole new meaning.  Even an aspect that might at one point have seemed superficial can become deeply spiritual.  An exercise once done to make us “look more attractive” suddenly is a means to be more healthy in body and mind so that we can see and serve.  And the time we spend doing it – which up to that point had been a “meditation on our bodies” – becomes instead one more part of our day that is a meditation on our greater goals and values.

And as that higher objective motivates us to even greater commitment to taking care of ourselves, we are able to move toward increased energy, increased capacity, and increased clarity – all of which help us in our aspirations toward the life of mindfulness, compassion, and love our Spirit calls us to live….

Welcome to SpiritFit….

Welcome to SpiritFit, a site dedicated to exploring the link between health, fitness, and spiritual growth….

My name is Michael Lloyd-Billington and I am a yoga instructor & personal trainer in Fort Collins, Colorado.  For over 25 years I have been a serious student of nutrition and exercise physiology, seeking the most efficient and powerful ways to experience greater energy and health.  I have also during that same time been an avid student of religion, philosophy, and meditation and hold a degree in comparative religion and Eastern thought from Hampshire College. 

At first blush, this might seem like a bit of a contradiction.  Many of us see matters of the body as utterly distinct from matters of the soul.  And yet traditions around the globe have stressed the connection between our diet, our physical state, and our ability to live our spiritual values.  My goal for this site is to provide the latest information on how we can improve our vitality and fitness as a means to enhance our spiritual awareness and how greater mindfulness in the area of spiritual issues in our lives can in turn allow us to better care for our bodies as instruments of service and growth. 

In the near future you will find articles here on topics ranging from exercise to nutrition to meditation and self-study, all with an emphasis on how they powerfully inform our ability to serve, love, and realize.  I hope you will join me in this exploration and that you will feel free to share your own thoughts and experiences in this important area of personal unfolding….