Dealing With the Desire or Craving Related to Food

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Vast numbers of people face the
difficulty of the craving for

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food, whether in the form of
eating more than their body

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requires or eating foods that
carry little nutritional

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benefit, but which represent
large caloric content or which

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satisfy a particular craving for
a specific taste.

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There are substantial downsides
to indulgence in food cravings,

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including unnecessary weight
gain and the health impacts that

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come along with that.
For the spiritual seeker, the

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physical impacts are just a part
of the concern.

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The more an individual fixates
on food, obtaining food,

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preparing food, enjoying food,
the more it can act as a

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distraction to his spiritual
sadhna.

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The concentration is diverted
and time is invested in the food

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craving cycle that could and
should be better spent in a

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focus on the development of the
spiritual opening and its

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integration into the being.
There are many subtle triggers

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for the desire for food or the
craving of specific foods.

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Some of these are the result of
food being treated as an

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emotional support, a response to
stress, or as some kind of

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reward mechanism trained into
one as a child.

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In some cases, food represents a
sublimation of an otherwise

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suppressed sexual energy which
pushes the second chakra, the

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seat of the lower vital, with
that unfulfilled energy rising

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slightly from the first chakra
but being prevented from its

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normal outlet by the action of
suppression.

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In some instances, cravings
arise as a result of changes in

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hormonal balance or response to
a stressful situation.

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The food acts to manage the
reactions and in some cases

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helps to reduce the residual
stress.

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As we host a population of
bacteria in our digestive

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system, there are occasions when
signals from this bacterial

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colony are sent for nourishment
it needs or craves.

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In some instances, the vital
enjoys the taste of the food as

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part of its normal human means
of satisfaction.

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In the absence of the higher and
more refined forms of enjoyment

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found in the experience of
spiritual bliss, the physical

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body is able to send signals to
the brain about its needs for

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specific nutrients.
So it is useful to be able to

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stand back and observe the
various desires or cravings that

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arise and thereby distinguish
the differential causes of the

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desire or craving and respond
appropriately as part of the

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process of managing the vital
and physical nature and aiding

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in the eventual transformation
of the body vehicle.

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With the eventual development of
the Super mental manifestation

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in the human being, vast changes
in bodily functionality have

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been envisioned, including
changes that might radically

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alter our relationship with food
or even our need for obtaining

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nourishment through food.
While this change is apparently

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not imminent, it is useful to
recognize that past habits of

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interaction do not necessarily
determine the shape of the

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future, Sri Aurobindo observes
Quote.

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It is the attachment to food,
the greed and ignorant eagerness

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for it making it an unduly
important thing in the life,

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that is contrary to the spirit
of yoga.

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To be aware that something is
pleasant to the palate is not

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wrong only.
One must have no desire or

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hankering for it, no exultation
in getting it, no displeasure or

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regret at not getting it.
One must be calm and equal, not

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getting upset or dissatisfied
when the food is not tasty or

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not in abundance, eating the
fixed amount that is necessary,

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not less or more.
There should be neither

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eagerness nor repugnance to be
always thinking about food, and

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troubling the mind is quite the
wrong way of getting rid of the

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food desire.
Put the food element in the

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right place in the life, in a
small corner, and don't

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concentrate on it, but on other
things.

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End Quote reference Sri or
ovindo bases of yoga Chapter 4

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Desire food sex page 66.