CHAPTER 1
What Is the Divine Dining Method?
In the simplest terms, divine dining is a conscious eating program designed to bring your full awareness to the act of eating. It is a program that will help you be aware of what you eat, how you eat, and why you eat.
Have you ever struggled with making healthy food choices? Or are you sometimes unaware of what you are eating until the food is all gone? Do you forget to take the time to enjoy your food? Or do you have food triggers that cause you to go on autopilot or become numb while eating?
If you've answered yes to the above questions and you've been looking to make healthy changes, then the divine dining method is for you!
Divine dining is for you if you have
1) struggled to make healthy food choices;
2) struggled with weight management;
3) eaten on the run, completely unaware of what you're eating until it's all gone;
4) eaten so quickly that you didn't even taste the food;
5) experienced a poor self-image or negative self-talk; or
6) binged or eaten compulsively.
Do You Eat to Live or Live to Eat?
Divine dining helps you identify your food issues and triggers and helps you design the best way to incorporate healthy eating into your life. It helps you be in full control of what you eat, when you eat, and why you eat.
Remember: divine dining is not a diet; it's a supreme act of self-love!
For the purposes of this book, the definition of mindfulness is "awareness of the present moment without judgment." Mindfulness is an important part of the Divine Dining Method, as it teaches us to be aware of what we are doing (eating) in the moment.
Q: Why do we want to be more mindful?
A: Because we want to feel we are truly living and not just running through our days on autopilot. We want to be in full control of ourselves and to live more fully from our hearts. We want to be aware of the energy and emotion behind the act of eating. In terms of divine dining, we want to be consistent in the way we approach mealtimes. We want to be aware of what we are eating and why. Knowing ourselves and our motivations for what we are eating is a key to mastering the world of the Divine Dining Method.
CHAPTER 2
Who Is It For?
Truthfully, this book is for anyone who eats.
In our society, we are focused on fast, convenient, and easy; never mind the repercussions these priorities have on our health and well-being. All kinds of people have attended my seminars — thin women, burly men, lifelong yo-yo dieters, and those who don't appear to have a weight problem. I've learned that many issues are related to the act of eating, but not one other approach besides the Divine Dining Method comes even close to mindfulness and conscious eating!
It's important to remember that the Divine Dining Method is a conscious-eating program that is different for everybody. Everyone has different food issues. Some people can't eat when they are stressed; some overeat when they are stressed. Some eat late at night, and some eat while cooking dinner. Once you understand your own issues, you've made the first step in making lasting change.
I'm passionate about helping people understand and accept their food behaviors and getting them to realize that this is the first step in making lasting changes.
I've been inspired by how people have done in our past programs. Here is what a recent client had to say: "The Divine Dining Method taught me to sit and relax while eating and to savor my food instead of rushing through a meal. I was often guilty of leaving the table mid-meal to write a note or put something away. Now I have been treating each meal as a sensory experience."
Here are some of the benefits of adopting the Divine Dining Method:
[check] It aids weight loss.
[check] It puts you in full control of your eating.
[check] It works in conjunction with any eating style.
[check] It activates a healthy digestive system.
I have run workshops; held private, individual sessions; and facilitated online virtual retreats, and now, because of my desire to have this program reach more people, I've created an online course that has the entire program in an easy-to-use format. With lessons, a workbook, and meditation recordings, you will have all the support you need to have a successful divine dining experience. You can find the interactive online course at: https://www.lvinglotusgroup.com
You will be inspired in more ways than you could ever imagine in this healing journey, with information and tools to help guide you on your way.
You will come away from this program with many ways to transform your food issues and desires, empowering you to make amazing changes. You'll be challenged to confront your existing belief systems and discover how to let go of old patterns while simultaneously opening the way for the new and exciting process of mindful eating to fully take hold in your consciousness.
Here are the top ten reasons for the Divine Dining Method:
[check] It's not a diet but a supreme act of self-love. You get to eat what you want and, more importantly, love what you eat!
[check] It's easy. You don't need special equipment (the crystals are an added bonus but not necessary), scales, weigh-ins, or food portions.
[check] It's portable. Take your mind with you, and you'll be present no matter where you are. As Jon Kabat Zinn said, "Wherever you go, there you are."
[check] It teaches compassion and self-acceptance. What's not to love?
[check] The Divine Dining Method lasts your entire lifetime.
[check] It teaches being nonjudgmental — a helpful technique that will serve you well.
[check] It really works! I love speaking to people after they've been doing the DD Method for a while. It changes your brain in relation to how you approach mealtimes.
[check] It helps create balance. When you are mindful in one area of your life, you are more aware in other parts of your life. It helps to bring balance to your mind, body, and emotions.
[check] Anyone can do it!
[check] It's a positive approach, focusing on how to eat rather than on what not to eat. This is an important distinction and one that helps shift your mind-set and train your brain in a gentle way.
CHAPTER 3
What Are the Benefits?
The Divine Dining Method is a conscious way to transform your mealtime. By working with mindfulness, meditation, affirmations, and crystals to use as energetic touchstones or reminders, you will be guided to be more conscious and aware of your eating.
Here's a note by a recent Divine Dining Method participant: "The Divine Dining [Method] has brought much awareness to an area of my life wrought with old patterning, addiction, and unconscious behavior. Your program has allowed me to gently, compassionately shift my behaviors to ones that are more supportive and uplifting to my entire being. I try to practice once a day, and there are days when there is no consciousness at all to my eating, but my self-awareness is growing along with my self-care and self-love."
We all need to eat, right? If you've had issues with food (and who hasn't?), you might find the following list of benefits to be helpful.
The amazing benefits of the Divine Dining Method include the following:
[check] The Divine Dining Method aids in weight management.
[check] The Divine Dining Method is not a diet but a supreme act of self-love that teaches us to be kinder to ourselves.
[check] The Divine Dining Method works in conjunction with any eating style.
[check] The Divine Dining Method is about the intention that we put behind the act of eating.
[check] The Divine Dining Method activates a healthy digestive system.
[check] The Divine Dining Method reminds us that chewing completely and thoroughly before swallowing will help to stir the digestive juices.
[check] The Divine Dining Method encourages us to be in full control of what we eat (making healthy choices), when we eat (noting time of day, etc.), and why we eat (watching for emotional eating).
Why I Created This Program
Our deepest self-knowledge resides in the body, which a great deal of the time does not speak the same language as the mind.
— Annemarie Colbin, founder of the National Gourmet Institute
How often do you listen to your body? Do you consistently make food choices that are not aligned with your intentions of living a healthier lifestyle?
I am the founder of the Living Lotus Group, a dynamic resource for transformational tools of spiritual growth. A New York-based company rooted in holistic healing and mindful living, Living Lotus Group provides classes, workshops, and meditations; one-on-one and group services, such as life-coaching, reiki, and sound healing; and artisanal jewelry, healing stones, crystal kits, and more through its retail branch, Jewels of the Lotus. As a transformational life coach who helps people align with the lives they want, I have studied various forms and modalities of personal development. One of the recurring themes among my clients has been not living in alignment with their thinking and behavior. People who say they want to eat more healthy foods behave in ways that run counter to their desired outcomes.
I created the Divine Dining Method in 2006 and began teaching workshops to help people who struggle with food issues learn conscious, mindful ways to eat so that they can learn to have healthier attitudes toward eating.
If I were to simplify the Divine Dining Method, I would tell you to try these three tips:
[check] Focus on the food you eat while you are eating.
[check] Pause and take a deep breath before your first bite.
[check] Appreciate and be grateful for your food (where it came from and who prepared it).
Ten Ways That the Divine Dining Method Can Change Your Life
Here are some of the many benefits that will influence your body, mind, and soul! The Divine Dining Method supports your efforts to slow down in a busy world and reconnect with your heart center.
[check] The Divine Dining Method teaches you to be more mindful of the wonderful and healthy food with which you choose to nourish your body.
[check] The Divine Dining Method activates a healthier and more balanced digestive process.
[check] The Divine Dining Method helps bring conscious awareness to the energy you put into the act of eating and encourages you to eat your food with love and gratitude.
[check] The Divine Dining Method transforms the way you view food and how you choose to eat.
[check] The Divine Dining Method assists you in honoring mealtime as a special and sacred event (even if you dine alone).
[check] The Divine Dining Method encourages you to be in full control of your eating (and thereby limits overeating).
[check] The Divine Dining Method increases your awareness of the full range of your emotions and other triggers.
[check] The Divine Dining Method deepens your conscious connection to where your food was sourced from and how it was prepared.
[check] The Divine Dining Method aligns you with the wisdom of your body, helps you enjoy the foods you love, and teaches self-compassion.
CHAPTER 4
Mind-Set and Preparations
Getting Started
Now is the time to sweep away all your feelings of failure and your past perceived mistakes. The joy of the Divine Dining Method is that we get to begin anew in each moment.
The best way to start is to begin with acceptance. By accepting yourself completely, you acknowledge that you are the total sum of all your past successes, lessons, trials, and experiences, but you don't let that story define you.
Mind-Set: The Five Quickest Ways to Shift Your Relationship with Food
When you think about it, we all need to eat to stay alive and stay healthy. Sometimes our intentions don't quite match up with our desires, which is where the problems lie. Let me explain: Our intention is to have healthy bodies, yet we eat foods that are not healthy for us. While the reasons behind this can run deep, it all comes down to following a few simple steps.
1) Be aware of your self-talk when you eat. Do you feel guilty or sneaky, or do you enjoy every bite? This is key to making a shift. Awareness and gentleness come first.
2) Be grateful for your food. Appreciate where it came from. Take a pause before you take the first bite. Learn to slow down.
3) Be conscious of your body while you eat. Learn to check in with your body and stop eating when you are full.
4) Be focused fully on the food in front of you. Try to absorb the smell, the taste, and the texture.
5) Be patient with yourself. Learn to choose healthier options and to enjoy what life tastes like.
Seven Skills of Divine Dining (Mindful Eating)
This section is adapted from Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful by Susan Albers. The seven skills of mindful eating include the following:
1) Awareness. Awareness is the key to this process. It means we are fully awake and engaged in our eating from start to finish. It means that even if we are choosing to eat something we know is a trigger, at least we are aware of it. (Compare this to the times you've eaten yourself into a stupor and didn't realize it until the bag of chips was empty.) I find that awareness is an important first step because it means that we can make fully informed choices. We are aware of our triggers, old patterns, familial tendencies, and emotional landscapes.
2) Observation. The skill of observation teaches us to separate ourselves from the activity. Almost as if watching ourselves from above, we get to observe (again, without judgment) our tendencies and even what is going through our minds at any given moment. Observe how you speak to yourself, convince yourself, or even lie to yourself! This can be an informative skill.
3) Presence. Our minds can take us on such wild rides during the day, but developing the skills of mindfulness helps bring our full presence into the day. One example is driving. When we are first learning to drive, we are more focused on all the components going into driving (and on wanting to do it right so as not to crash the car). Once we get more experience, we do it on autopilot. Sometimes we arrive at our destinations without remembering how we got there! When we eat, it's important to be in the moment — not thinking about the past or the future but keeping the focus on the now. Multitasking is not being in the present moment. Your attention is split, so it's hard to maintain full focus. Ultimately, presence means being fully focused on what you are eating — not on watching television or reading the paper. Full engagement in the act of consuming your food is a goal to strive for.
4) Being mindful of the environment. Do you eat in your car? (I've done it many times.) Is your dining room table a catchall for the mail and homework gremlins? Creating a nice and peaceful environment for your meals is an important aspect of the Divine Dining Method. Setting the table and creating an atmosphere of love and respect for yourself and your dinner companions will enhance the experience. Do you keep healthy foods in your pantry, or are you being tempted into sabotage?
5) Being nonjudgmental. "Be kind to yourself!" When I say this to clients, they look at me with surprise as if they had just been caught red-handed. I'm big on calling people out on their behaviors, and it's amazing to me how poorly some people treat themselves. This kind of negative self-talk is usually based on early imprinting and carries over into adulthood. Catch yourself when you hear this critical voice come up that says, "I've never been good at ..." Learn how to reframe it into a positive statement, such as, "I love learning a new way to be." It's time to take the boxing gloves off. Start treating yourself with compassion.
6) Letting it go. It's time to stop labeling things as "good" or "bad" and to start recognizing the impermanence of all things — including strong feelings. When we learn how to recognize the pull of a craving or of a food trigger, we can learn other ways of coping with these seemingly overwhelming feelings. For me, one way of "letting go" is to fully immerse myself so that I can feel the feeling, as intense as it may be. Instead of wanting to eat my way through it, deny it, or numb it out, I simply breathe through it and let it pass through me. Detach and let go. This is not always easy when we are in the throes of our emotions, but it is part of our practice.
7) Acceptance. We humans are never truly satisfied with what we have. Many people have something they'd like to change about themselves. Given the choice, they'd wish to be taller or shorter or have better hair or even have more hair. Many people wish their noses weren't so big or that if they could just "lose those last 10 pounds," they'd be happy. In reality, part of compassion is fully accepting ourselves as we are — warts and all! Start with accepting yourself in all your glory! You really are a special human being with unique gifts. It's time to have the courage and the conviction to move in the direction of self-compassion and self-respect. It's time.
As you begin to embark on the Divine Dining Method, you can make space for a new and higher way to approach eating.
