Seven Appetites That Yearn to be Fed: Bringing Mindfulness to Our Relationship With Food

Nutrition & Eating
Recovery
Char Wilkins
Conscious Living
Jan Chozen Bays
ME-CL
Mindful Eating
Mindfulness
Professional Training
UCSD

Physician, Zen priest and mindfulness teacher Dr. Jan Chozen Bays is profiled in the Huffington Post for her work around mindful eating. Drawing on a wealth of background and training, Jan has written Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food. This brief article highlights the key aspects of Chozen Bays' approach that is deeply informed by mindfulness and meditation practice.

The article nicely highlights Dr. Chozen Bays' approach to understanding the relationship we have with food. She "describes seven appetites longing to be fed: the hunger of the eye, nose, mouth, stomach, cellular, mind and heart." This is covered in the book, but as she notes in this article " there is a world of difference between reading about mindful eating, listening to a CD about mindful eating and actually experiencing mindful eating."

About the Author

Jan Chozen Bays

Jan Chozen Bays, Roshi, MD, is a pediatrician specializing in work with abused children. She is the author of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food and How to Train a Wild Elephant and other Adventures in Mindfulness, both published by Shambhala. She has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism since 1973, serving as the teacher for the Zen Community of Oregon since 1985. In 2002 she helped to found Great Vow Zen Monastery near Portland, Oregon, where she serves as co-abbot. She has published articles about Zen in Tricycle and Buddhadharma magazines. Jan is a wife, mother, contented cook and avid gardener.