why we eat living foods on retreats

when we retreat, we are not simply leaving our usual environment.

we are creating space to notice what has become normal.

the way we wake up.

the way we move through our day.

the things we eat without thinking.

the pace we keep.

the amount of stimulation we consume.

and this is one of the reasons we eat living foods on retreats. not because food needs to become another rule and not because every meal has to be perfect.

we do it because we are living systems.

and when we step away from our lives, it is easier to give the body something simple, fresh and close to its natural form.

fresh fruit. vegetables. herbs. nuts and seeds. freshly prepared organic meals.

foods that come from the earth and hasn’t been completely transformed into something unrecognizable. there is a different feeling when you eat this way.

you notice the food. you taste the sweetness of a mango. you notice the hydration from a cucumber you smell fresh cilantro. you feel the warmth of a freshly prepared meal.

you slow down and eat with intention.

and that is real nourishment.

we often eat on the run, working, scrolling, answering messages and rushing toward the next thing. we can put food into our bodies without every actually being present for the experience of eating it.

a retreat gives us the opportunity to interrupt that pattern.

we sit together.

we eat slowly.

we talk.

sometimes we eat in silence. we notice how we feel before and after a meal.

we pay attention to our bodies.

food is part of the pause

at My Life Retreats, the food is part of the experience of coming back to yourself. we don’t see nourishment as separate from the retreat. the food, the movement, the nature, the ceremonies and the space all work together to create an environment where you can connect with yourself again.

living foods are one piece of that.

they remind us that nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated.

the body needs simplicity. fresh food. water. rest. movement. sunlight, nature, and time.

and with those ingredients, we return to life.