For over 20 years of my life, I resisted being an eater. I expended immeasurable energy attempting to control my appetite, my food, and the size and shape of my body, as well as my truest desires and feelings. On a daily basis, in one way or the other, I paid for the crime of eating (punishing myself with judgement, grueling exercise, starving myself, etc.)
I saw food as a tormentor, tempting me with its forbidden fruits and then betraying me with unwanted weight. I lived in a self-imposed prison of rules and restrictions – what I CAN eat, what I CAN’T eat – I got pretty damn good at denying my hungers. Yet all along I was starving for freedom from all the shoulds and shame, and for the basic PERMISSION to be nourished, I just didn’t see HOW to achieve that.
What I finally came to realize through my own journey was that the act of eating itself is sacred. Eating, aka nourishing my body with food, is how my soul continually chooses to show up for life in this body and on this planet. My relationship with food and my body is the longest-term relationship I will ever have – ’til death do us part. And so it is for you.
Eating also has the potential to be a great source of daily pleasure in our lives, if we allow it to be. And, the way we nourish ourselves with food is a direct reflection of how willing and able we are to nourish ourselves in other aspects of life. When we struggle with food, it’s a darn good indication that we are out of balance with our other hungers.
That’s why I was compelled to share this brilliant and moving piece of work with you. This is the “Eater’s Agreement” laid forth by my mentor Marc David in his book Nourishing Wisdom. May it help you discover your own version of Eat Pray Love, as it did for me.
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The Eater’s Agreement
I hereby agree, from this day forward, to fully participate in life on earth. I agree to inhabit the appropriate vehicle for such participation – a body. As a requisite for the sustaining of that body, and of the life that dwells therein, I agree to be an eater. This agreement fully binds me for the duration of my stay on earth.
As an eater, I agree to hunger. I agree to have a body that needs food. I agree to eat food. I recognize that as the biological need to eat is fulfilled with greater awareness and efficiency, the benefits of my well-being will increase. I further acknowledge that ignorance of the eating process may cause undesirable consequences.
Because the essence of my participation in life is one of learning and exploration, I agree to experience uncertainty as an eater. I recognize there are a great variety of foods to choose from, and I may not know which to eat. I may have a choice of different nutritional approaches, and not know which to follow. I may have an assortment of habits, and not know how to manage them. I recognize that my relationship with food is a learning process, and I will inevitably make mistakes. Therefore, as an eater, I agree to accept my humanness and learn as I go along.
I acknowledge that as the body changes from infancy to old age, so will the eating process change. I recognize that my body may call for different foods as the days, seasons, and years progress. My dietary needs will also shift in accord with changes in my life-style and environment. I understand that there is no one perfect diet.
As an eater, I accept pain. I recognize that I may suffer pain when the body is disturbed by my choice of food or eating habits. I may also experience pain when emotional and spiritual hungers are confused with physical hunger. I further understand that eating to cure a pain that cannot be remedied by eating may bring even more pain.
I further agree to accept a body that is imperfect and vulnerable, that naturally decays with the passage of time. I recognize there will be moments when I am incapable of caring for myself. I agree, then, that to live in a body is to need the help of others. I also agree to be vulnerable as an eater. I acknowledge that I will be helpless as an infant and will need to be fed. I may be equally helpless when I am old and unwell. I further recognize that even when I am fully capable, I may still need the warmth and care of someone who can feed me. Therefore, as an eater, I agree to be nourished by others.
If I have a woman’s body, I acknowledge that I have a special relationship with eating and nourishment. I recognize that as a giver of life, I am the nourisher of life as well. Whether through my cooking or the milk of my body, I acknowledge that the union of food and love is a quality that marks my womanhood and has a profound effect on human kind.
As an eater, I acknowledge the domain of the sacred. I recognize that the act of eating may be ritualized and inspired. It may be given symbolic meanings that are religious or spiritual in nature. It may even be joyous.
I further agree that eating is an activity that joins me with all humanity. I recognize that to be an eater is to be accountable for the care of the earth and its resources. I acknowledge that despite our differences, we are all ultimately nourished by the same source. As such, I agree to share.
I recognize that at its deepest level, eating is an affirmation of life. Each time I eat I agree somewhere inside to continue life on Earth. I acknowledge that this choice to eat is a fundamental act of love and nourishment, a true celebration of my existence. As a human being on Earth, I agree to be an eater. I choose life again and again and again . . .
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Imagine if we could all embody this… imagine how many more well-nourished women there would be in this world creating amazing things.
Imagine what would be different in YOUR life if your energy and attention were freed up from resisting being an eater, struggling with food, or trying to control your appetite or your body… What would you be able to create? Are you ready to take the pledge?
If this is something in this Eaters Agreement that speaks to you, that sparks a longing, and yet you find yourself confused as to how to truly put this into practice, I’m here to help you and to show you the way.
In fact right now I’ve got ONE spot left in a special case-study program I’ve created that will help you live into this agreement; to free yourself from all the rules, restrictions, guilt and shame around eating; and allow your body – and your soul – to breathe a sigh of relief and find their most radiant natural expression.
Maybe that spot has been waiting just for you. To learn more, email me at michelle@unlockyourpossibility.com, and let’s chat. There’s so much more I want to tell you about what’s possible for you!
Does the Eaters Agreement spark something for you? Please share your insights in the comments below!
