I tried mindfully eating the other day.

Ordered a Masala Dosa in the canteen in a hospital last week.

Was alone. By habit I pulled out my phone to read or browse something while eating.

Then I stopped and put the phone back – had been reading Awakening the Buddha within – thought let me try mindful eating – a practice as suggested in the book.

Tore off a small part of the dosa – dipped it in sambhar and chutney and ate it. Chewed it trying to discern the contents – the dal, rice, coconut, onion – thought from where all the ingredients would have travelled. Relished the taste of different ingredients – it was just like listening to a symphony and trying to identify the music instruments.

Then my mind drifted away – don’t remember what it started analysing – and after sometime realised I should be mindfully eating – and again started focusing on the food and the moment.

Man it is tough. The mind keeps drifting.

After that day, have tried a lot of times when I eat alone to remind myself to eat mindfully – no phone, no ipad, no book, no TV while eating. To think of only the food and trying to keep my mind around food and eating – and not let it go on its journey on work, or judge people or the billion things it can think at any moment.

There is another advantage of mindful eating.

I am paying more attention to nutrition, the flavour, the taste, the texture – food never tasted this good. Even a simple preparation is tasty now. I have taken a new interest on Rasam – it is so simple but has got some amazing taste if you just close your eyes and take just a sip. If I drink Coke mindfully, I will think of all the harmful chemicals in it or the 10 spoons of sugar they have put – will not be able to continue drinking coke anymore.

If I eat mindfully – the food I pick automatically becomes healthy and wholesome and in tune with the earth. And as a bonus my daily quota of meditation also is met or exceeded – because mindful eating is also a form of meditation. We get 3 or 4 times a day to eat – these are beautiful opportunities to practice meditation.

Rest Easy Chickens.

I am not going to eat you.

And also you – the Baby Goat, Goat, Fish, Prawn.

And this time I think its for real.

Here is the path to reducing consumption and finally zeroing it out – if you are a carnivore who is in doubt you can continue reading this post. If you are a carnivore who doesn’t care – you need not read any further – but if you want to amuse yourself – go ahead and read it 🙂

2000

Went to LSU to do my masters. I figured out that chicken was cheaper than Veggies. Also cooking chicken was much much easier – drop in some masala and within 30 minutes a tasty preparation would be ready. No brainer.  Also in US everyone ate meat – 3 times a day. The poor Veggie FOBs all suffered – some converted. I did not have any 2nd thoughts ( not that I had ) that eating Meat had any issues in it and it was totally fine.

2006

Got back to India – and had to visit Chicken shops – as there was no pre packaged meat like in US. I would say 1/2 a kg – if the vendor doesnt have stock, he will take one chicken from the cage, go behind the counter, slit its throat and will drop it into a drum. There will be a commotion and slowly it will subside. He will give me 1/2 kg in a black plastic bag – and it will be warm. It disturbed me – but only till the time I dropped it in the kitchen. My mother ( an ex-carnivore herself ) would cook some delicious dishes – and all was forgotten.

2009

Reliance Fresh opened a Meat section near our home. It was back to good old US days – it was all packaged – and zero guilt. Also this time I started running – thought I needed protein and started getting meat almost on a weekly basis.

2011

This is when I read Born to Run – ( http://kvrlogs.blogspot.in/2011/10/three-running-myths-busted.html ). Learnt that you don’t need to be a carnivore to run better.

And I was reading more and more spiritual books. Had lot of questions in my mind – every time I tasted a meat preparation – always a doubt will come in my mind.

2012

We moved to Mumbai. The area we moved in – Kandivali – did not have any meat shops. There was only frozen stuff and we completely stopped cooking chicken at home. Fish continued but I was getting weary of eating fish – too cumbersome. However we checked out lot of famous foodie joints – Bade Miyaan, BBC, Candies..and meat eating continued.

At the same time – Mumbai gave lot many good veggie options. Banana Leaf, Cream Center.. we liked visiting often – so when we went out as a family ( my mother being veggie ), we always went out to the veggie joints.

2013

Sangeeta tried to spring a surprise on me in June – by taking me to Meating joint in Colaba – not a single veggie item in the menu. Actually the variety was fantastic and would be a delight for any meat eater. In my weird conflicted mind – I could not enjoy the food like before.

Few weeks back I had to go to Navi Mumbai for a demo. At lunch I went to a food court in a mall nearby. I ordered hummus. Next to me someone brought a chicken sizzler – I didnt feel jealous or wanted that. Was very much at peace with the hummus dish I got.

Then I picked up Eat and Run by Scott Jurek.  It was an eye-opener.

For those of you who don’t know Scott Jurek – he is an Ultra Marathoner.

Marathon is where people run 42Kms under 6 hours. Ultra Marathoners run 24 to 48 hours at a stretch and cover crazy distances – 100,150.. even 300 Kms, on hills and rocks, through deserts and snow. Totally ridiculous inhuman race.

Guess what? – Scott Jurek was born and brought up in Minnesota – his dad presented him a Gun in his 10th birthday – so he can go hunt rabbits, deer and fowls. The family will eat these animals – they were big meat eaters.

Scott Jurek started running – and like any new runner got injured. He figured out that eating plants helped him recover very quickly. Also the plant based fat burnt faster than animal based fat – he was leaner and stronger. He started doing lot of research and found that eating Animals are bad for the running form.

He turned vegan – not vegetarian – vegan – absolutely no animal products. He won ultra marathon after ultra marathon – inspite of eating just plants. He is the most accomplished and distinguished Ultra Marathoner of all – and has won every race in the world.

Combined with this book – I started reading on Buddhism – which abhors violence to humans and animals alike.  I also remember reading a quote somewhere.

“You can eat meat. There is absolutely no problem in it. However if you are in the path of awakening you will question this habit.”

And this was a question in my mind the past few years – is it alright to eat meat?

Am I missing something? – Maybe.

I have not yet visited Taj and had some fantastic signature meat dish by a renowned chef.

I havent visited Ponnusamy or Anjappar in more than 4 or 5 years.

I will probably not have the Bade Miyaan Bheja Fry – and the weird taste texture it had.

I was joking to Sangeeta – when Cigarette smokers quit they would smoke 2 3 packs and quit in style.

I did not do any of that. The transition just happened smoothly. Don’t even remember the last meat dish I ate.

So – dear Chicken and all animals of all kinds – relax. You are safe in my presence.