Before I taught mindful eating, I had been teaching mindfulness in both the tradition of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Theravadan Buddhism since 1999. I clearly understood the importance of mindfulness in relieving the suffering that all human beings experience just because they are alive in this world. However, teaching mindful eating since 2007 and being on the board of The Center for Mindful Eating since 2015 have taught me how important the work of mindful eating is to our sanity and freedom with food and our bodies. And since we eat and live in our bodies every day, it might seem obvious that the relationships with have to both are crucial to our wellbeing and happiness.

In July, we just finished an annual retreat of The Center for Mindful Eating in New York with board members from all over the world. We sat around the campfire and shared our visions, hopes, and dreams. (Full disclosure: there was a campfire but we were rained out and had a “virtual” campfire inside the meditation hall.). The words that kept coming in my head were “we need a #MindfulEatingRevolution.”

It is clear to me that mindful eating and the associated compassionate approach to our bodies is revolutionary and against the cultural norm. We are revolutionaries when we stake out control of our minds and bodies from the dominant culture and corporate conditioning that says we are anything less than wonderful and perfect just as we are. We are revolutionaries when we engage in the process of looking deeply at our lives and the way we eat which can “involve or cause a complete or dramatic change”—the definition of revolutionary.

As a famous meditation teacher, Shunryu Suzuki, said, “Each of you is perfect the way you are … and you could use some improvement.” Buddhism is full of paradox and this is one of them. Of course, you are perfect the way you are, and yet I’m sure that there are a few of you who would like to improve upon the way that you approach food, eating, and your precious body. Along with the resources available on The Center for Mindful Eating website, I offer a ten program called Eat for Life, with classes staring in two weeks.

The Eat for Life Program has benefitted thousands of people and I would love to have you join me on the path to mindful eating and living.  Whether you are a person interested in a better relationship with food and your body or a professional wanting to add mindful eating to your services, this could be the program for you!

The skill of mindfulness is at the core of Eat for Life, and research on the class shows mindfulness is the key to changing how you eat and how you feel about your body. Learning to practice on a regular basis, mindfulness will be used to examine every aspect of the eating experience, as well as your emotions and thoughts related to eating, to your body, and to the other challenges you might face. Above all else, mindfulness gives you the skills of clarity, resilience, and kindness which provide the basis for choosing the food and the life you want.

The class is taught LIVE, online over a platform called Zoom. If you have a computer, you will be able to take this class from anywhere around the world. I have both professionals and the general public in the class to create a unique and rich tapestry of learning for everyone. We all have something to learn by examining ourselves more deeply and compassionately. We are all students and teachers.

Drop deeply into a relationship with yourself for ten weeks and see what a #mindfuleating revolution can do for you.  For more information, click here or you can enroll by going to my website and click on the class that you want. Classes are on Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Central Time or Thursdays from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Central Time starting in September.

If you are interested in taking the class and receiving CE credits (for mental health professionals, nutritionists, dietitians) please register here. The fee of $63 covers up to 21 CE/CPE Credits.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the class before you enroll by emailing me at MindfulRossy@gmail.com.