Food Yoga

This is a post about not yoga.

(eek)

I have a daily yoga practice. More often than not, I have an over-daily yoga practice, roughly one hour of yoga for every 18 hours of existence. Preferably two hours of yoga a day, or a yoga class and a brisk jog, or a dance class or a brisk swim. Something of the sorts.

And today, of all days, I have not done yoga yet. Normally, I might have cried- especially as icky as I was feeling today. I spent the whole morning consuming a bag of carrots, half a bag of roasted edamame, two oranges, an apple, a bit of seaweed and papaya salad. Mechanistically and nutritionally, not an abnormal quantity, but physical terms, a whole lot of food. I never stopped eating for a moment, never feeling satisfied, my mind stuck in panicked distraction as I completed some school work.

Worse, the day before that, I spent it all munching on food, and the day before as well. I miss a proper exploratory epicurean meal. I tried yesterday morning, but my breakfast felt mechanistic as well, the eggs a bit too mixed with a mismatch of vegetables, and two slices of toast, robotic. No flavor, taste, intention of experience. I was so annoyed with that. (PS: I must learn how to make tasty eggs or I will go nuts). I tried to remedy it again with ordering thai food and that worked, yet I ordered take-out, and the eating from takeout containers was unsatisfying.

So, today after class, I thought I would take a nap then head to Prana Power Yoga for the 7. Then, I realized it was Tuesday, and that I work at Go. I ran out, hoping to make Nicole's class, but I got into Brooklyn at 6:55, too late for Nicole's 6:30.

So I went for a bit of a walk, munched an apple, ok, fine, I went scourging for more food. Somewhere proper.

I came across a Greek restaurant called Santorini, charmed by a table right next to a flower pot and a street view. I saw they had "grilled vegetables" for 10$ which is pretty absurd, but the waitress then asked me "You can have a take-out menu if you don't feel comfortable?"

"Hmm, I was just trying to figure out if this place is too expensive for me".

"Take a take-out menu, you may be more comfortable than sitting down".

Comfortable? Oh, man.

That's like a dare: I had to sit down.

At first I just got a bowl of soup, but then it was so nice, just sitting there, listening to my breath, feeling absurdly comfortable, that I also ordered a mixed plate of appetizers. And she asked me if I would like some 'mountain herb' tea, which she charged me for, but was so wonderful that I didn't mind.

And there was something that happened, between being served grilled bread and olive oil and soup- like a little click. Let's make this a yoga. After really enjoying each spoon of soup, I was too satisfied for my dinner. How strange. I had to take it with me, for tomorrow.

I felt calm, present... and thin. Odd.