I just returned from a most amazing experience: a four-hour Spiritual Yoga retreat led by a lovely woman named Shelly Niebuhr. I really needed it, and I’m very glad I went. The past month has been pretty intense, with publishing my book, speaking at a conference, leading a women’s workshop, and continuing to provide coaching and training to my clients (not to mention being a mom and wife, too!) Needless to say, I’ve had little time lately for relaxation and “me” time, so when a dear friend invited me to join her for the retreat, I jumped at the chance.

Shelly is a marvelous yoga instructor, but the retreat was hardly just about yoga. It was about mindfulness. Mindfulness means shutting off the constant chatter of our mind so we can truly pay attention to the seemingly little things all around us and appreciate them for what they are. Shelly asked us to remain silent as best we could for the entire four-hour session, and willingly, we did. Fifteen adults, both men and women, hardly made a sound for four solid hours. Only Shelly’s soft voice was heard throughout the session, gently leading us through yoga poses, breathing exercises, a walking meditation, a sitting meditation, and a short talk about the inevitability of impermanence and the beauty of embracing it.

When it came time for lunch, Shelly told us of the delicious meal that had been prepared for us, lovingly and consciously, by a wonderful chef and good friend of hers named Craig. She asked that we remain silent during the meal, feeling gratitude for the food, and thinking about all the amazing things that had had to happen for it to be possible for us to eat the meal – the sun, soil and water to grow the vegetables, the farmer to harvest and sell the vegetables, the chef to develop a tasty recipe and cook the stew, and then all of us to come together in this way to eat it.

On occasion, I have considered the idea of eating more mindfully, but when I placed the food down in front of me, I forgot the intention and wolfed it down as usual. But today was different. No voices or other noises to distract me, and a special request from Shelly to truly appreciate the food that was in front of me. I don’t know if you have ever eaten a meal slowly and mindfully as we did today, but I highly recommend it. It’s very difficult to put into words how different the experience was, and how enjoyable the meal was. Our lunch was a simple salad and a hot vegan stew, made with what appeared to be squash, tomatoes, peas, carrots, potatoes, rice, tofu, and what tasted like just a touch of saffron or curry. I can honestly say I have never eaten anything more delicious. Because for once, I was really tasting my food.

Last week I listened to a National Public Radio interview with a woman from Haiti who survived the earthquake and is now trying to survive every day. She is living under a tarp with her two very young children, fighting the blazing heat. They often go days at a time with little or no food. I thought of her while I was eating my meal, and that made me even more grateful.

Perhaps the best part of today’s experience is that it is staying with me, at least for now, and I will have the memory of those peaceful and grateful feelings to draw on whenever I need them. My intention is to remember especially to be mindful at the table, and to try my best to appreciate my future meals in a spirit similar to the one we shared at the retreat today. I’ll let you know how I do. Namaste.