It is important for overeaters to remember that food isn’t the primary life-sustaining substance. Before we need food, we need water. Before we need water, we need air. I’ve said that the overeater misinterprets thirst and turns to food. Similarly, our need to breathe well can be misdirected to food.
Overeaters must learn to feel at home with just breathing. Somewhere along the line, we started thinking we must have something else besides air to consume most of the time. This may have begun because we got used to constantly sipping a diet soda. It’s possible we started to sprinkle our day with the bursts of flavor from tasting and nibbling between meals. Perhaps we tried the diet strategy of eating many small meals, and those meals disintegrated into continuous snacking. No matter how this pattern began, we need to develop a sense of satisfaction from the consumption of air in relaxed breathing.
Relaxed breathing stimulates attention, improves concentration, and promotes clarity of thought. We get a feeling of unification or centeredness when we breathe well. This goes a long way toward helping the overeater feel a sense of dignity and calm. We achieve relaxed alertness without utilizing food.
Breathing well is very important for keeping an internal balance of calmness and alertness. Breath, however, is ignored when we eat to calm down and relax the nerves. We also eat to keep ourselves alert, or even awake. Often we turn to crunchy and chewy food for this purpose. Unfortunately, the crunchy snack foods rather than crunchy vegetables or fruit are the most attractive and readily available for this purpose. If you find yourself rummaging through the snack cupboard, you may need to stop and take a deep breath.
Good breathing also helps to moderate the physical effects of emotional stress. Emotional eating plays a large role in the overeating tendencies of many people. Overeaters often eat more when stressed, while normal eaters may eat less under those same conditions. The spiritual practices described in this book will help far more than physical techniques for alleviating emotional distress and even preventing it. However, physical interventions can help. I mentioned earlier that I sip cold water to ease the internal heat of emotional stress. It is well known that exercise reduces the strain of emotional pressure. Similarly, deep breathing mitigates the physical stress brought on by difficult emotions.
Beware of nervous habits such as nail biting, hair twisting, leg jiggling, or finger tapping, to name just a few. While you’re doing those things, you’re probably not breathing well. We develop nervous habits for the same reason that we eat to obtain the alert/calm state. Rather than being effective, they contribute to a feeling of disintegration instead of the unified, balanced feeling that we seek.
A state of relaxed alertness is the ideal physical state. For anyone familiar with the practice of meditation, that perfect balance of calmness and alertness characterizes the experience. The feeling called “flow,” in work or play, also produces this balance. Scientific research has investigated whether foods promote mood changes, particularly in the area of calmness and alertness. If nerves are on edge, the consumption of carbohydrates may help to calm us. If we feel lethargic, a protein food may be just the stimulation we need. Therefore, reaching for food isn't completely off-target. The trouble is, we usually overdo it, thereby canceling the effectiveness of the food being consumed for that purpose.
Take a little time to work on your breathing. Relearn how to breathe fully, completely, and comfortably. Periodically, I will lie down and relax the muscles in my face, neck, and chest until my breathing normalizes. There are books on breathing that can help you locate your particular breathing problem. For me, I found that I needed to consciously expand the bottom of my lungs to let air reach into the entire lung space. Then I fully exhale and relax down into the pause between breaths.
Try doing some stretching exercises, and focus on your breathing while you do them. Just a few minutes of practice each day will help. Any type of exercise helps us to breathe better, inhaling and exhaling for full oxygenation of our cells. An exercise such as yoga can refresh the mind as well as ease stress. Physical exertion rids the body of nervous tension. Movement warms the body and brings on pleasurable feelings of youthfulness and well-being. Moderate exercise can energize as well as relax.
Good breathing helped me in ways I did not expect. I felt less tired and sore in the evening. It helped some chronic middle back problems that would show up in late afternoon. It also improved my attention and focus for reading. It definitely helped me to sleep better. A few minutes of good breathing can be an excellent way to prepare the body for sleep.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. With more people getting less sleep due to the fast pace of modern life, overeating for this reason could be widespread. The act of eating counteracts feelings of fatigue, and you may be using it to stay awake. You just might be eating when you should be sleeping. A well rested body is of great help in naturally achieving the calmness and alertness that are integral to a productive and healthy life.
Breath and Soft Drinks
I mentioned earlier that I would address the problem of soft drinks again. Only when I understood the importance of relying on breath did I stop depending upon my favorite soft drink. I noticed that I actually breathed better during those first sips of soda. The carbonated beverage reminded me or caused me to relax and breathe. That may be part of the reason I came to depend upon soft drinks. I needed to breathe, but I misinterpreted that need as longing for soft drinks.
I also realized that I used cola as a crutch to help me through those times of non-consumption when I should have been just breathing. Overeaters feel that they always need to be consuming something. This is especially true if you’ve dieted a lot. We cling to that sugar-free soda in our anxiety about food and fear of feeling hungry.
Gradually, I stopped depending on soft drinks. For a long time, I would turn to my favorite cola only for emergency stress reduction. I reasoned that it was far better for me to reach for a soda than to start snacking in response to stress. And that was true. It was a step forward for me to do that. But eventually, my favorite cola lost its appeal. Since I didn’t drink it on a daily basis, it began to taste strange to me. Sparkling water became a helpful alternative. After this transition, I began to rely upon cold water and, more importantly, good breathing to reduce the physical effects of stress.
****
Breath is where the spiritual, mental, and physical disciplines meet. Breath is essential to the body. Good breathing enhances mind mastery. We refer to the Spirit as the breath of life. When you practice good breathing, take advantage of this connection. Try linking your breath with a prayerful phrase that is meaningful to your spiritual life. Remember that the body is the temple of God, and the mind is the sanctuary of the divine presence.
When you sit down for a meal, take a relaxed breath before you eat. Survey your food with appreciation and feel a sense of abundance. Admire the display of food and take time to smell the aromas. Remember those who labored to provide this sustenance. And give thanks to God, who is the source of all life and energy.
