Mindful eating in the Dordogne
One of the many explanations bandied about for the Western world’s increasing obesity problems is the lack of mindful eating.
There is little doubt that the ready availability of fast and processed foods have their part to play, as does the sedentary lifestyle lived by many who move from car to office to sofa before heading to bed to do it all again.
But, logically, there is a good argument for saying that paying attention to what we eat – sitting down at a table with a knife and fork and a group of friends and family – results in us putting less in our mouths.
Because really, how satisfying was that sandwich that you ate in your car the other day? How about that packet of crisps? Did they really stop you feeling quite so hungry before supper, or did you eat as much food at meal time as you would have done without the snack?
In my experience there’s no real need for lessons in mindful eating in the Dordogne. The meals I eat locally with friends and family always include a few moments where everyone sits in silence, relishing the foie gras, or the salad freshly picked from the garden, or the latest cheese discovery, before conversation turns to our opinion on the food item in question.
But for those who aren’t lucky enough to eat like that on a daily basis, there’s a new Buddhist retreat in the Perigord designed to educate the masses in mindful eating.
Never having visited, I can’t offer up much in the way of an experienced opinion on Plum Village and the services they offer to paying clientele. But I do know that – given the choice – I would much rather practice mindful eating over a table groaning with the best local food and wine than I would learn the same lessons in a communal hall filled with people eating lentils.
Tags: buddhist retreat, dordogne, france, mindful eating, perigord, plum village