The supermarket can be an overwhelming place, full of fluorescent lights, bustling carts, noise, changes in temperature, and sensory overload. One of the ways to make shopping seamless and soul-full is to make it elemental. Yes, elemental as in basic and simple, but in a specific way – shopping with the four elements (fire, earth, water, air) as your guides.
AIR – Air is the quality of that which is new – a new day, a new beginning, a fresh start – and it is freeing and light, without any confines of fear. How can you bring fresh eyes into the supermarket? Maybe this means visiting another market that you don’t frequent often. I did this last week. I went to a large, natural market on a Saturday night, in the middle of a snowstorm. Definitely something adventurous and fresh, and it allowed my eyes to feast upon a selection of exotic fruits and vegetables that I don’t normally see in the standard grocery store. By liberating yourself from your routine, you can experience what is new.
FIRE – The fire element is the playful part of us – or our childlike self. What are you buying that revvs up your energy, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual? What colors attract you? What words on packages create a jolt of electricity through you? The fire element is drawn to that which is flashy, colorful, bright. Make sure to leave the store with something FUN in your hands. Create a game out of shopping. For me, not too long ago, I was at the market and what I found to be most fun was buying a fruit that I hadn’t eaten before. It was exciting to make the selection, almost like a child in a toy store, and then to bring it home and eat it. I had selected a quince because I didn’t think that I had ever tried it before. It was a remarkable blend between an apple and a pear. Very unique!
WATER – The water element is one that is strong and flexible at the same time. Think of the current of water that flows over rocks. With time, the rocks become sculpted by the water’s consistent pressure. Bringing the water element into grocery hunting means having what I like to call “flowing focus”. Water is intense, it has depth. This quality can be captured into focus. When we are at the grocery store, it is useful to be in the moment as much as possible and to tap into the intuitive part of us that knows what we need by being receptive and listening to our bodies wisdom. We can flow through the aisles and stop where our bodies say is best. Shopping for nourishment is a meditative experience if we are open to that possibility!
EARTH – The trusted, solid Earth element keeps us sure-footed and stable on the planet Earth. It keeps us practical (hence the phrase “down to Earth”) and in touch with the needs of our physical bodies. When you connect with food, whether in a store, farmer’s market, or a field, see if you can get in touch with the aspect of food – tapping into its tremendous Earthly lineage – by being in its presence. In your mind’s eye, see the chain of events leading up to the display of food – the planet is amazingly, beautifully interconnected. Allow the food to be a reminder of that for you. And most importantly, shop with the Earth in mind – eating organic, locally-grown foods are best. Know that even though it is more expensive, you are putting energetic currency into the web of all of nature!
