Ever Wondered: What is Macrobiotics?

By Phyllis Parun

The Macrobiotic Way of Life is a modern holistic system of nutrition and  exercise with roots in an Asia and presented to the world by its Japanese  founders George and Lima Ohsawa in the middle of the 20th century.   Macrobiotics offers a practical system of cooking and understanding the  energy of food that not only treats disease but is also one of the keys to  preventing it.  But the true goal of macrobiotics ultimately is whole health  or spiritual  awareness.

Macrobiotics is a personal, self-directed practice. Many students of   macrobiotics seek its wisdom:

 Macrobiotic practices as it is taught today is very similar to that of  ancient practices. The fundamentals are the same. Teaching of the macrobiotic  way of life addresses one's:

The Macrobiotic Way of Eating is based on a variety of ancient and modern  international traditions which includes soups, whole grains, land and sea  vegetables, beans, soy foods, seafood and fish, seeds and nuts, fruits,  natural sweeteners, seasonings, beverages.  A Macrobiotic practice is not static. It is immersed in change.  As its name implies "Macrobiotics" a Greek  term meaning "large life" has all the variety and flexibility available in  nature for the practitioner eager to study it.

Macrobiotic cooking is based on an ancient science of dietary therapy called  Food Energetics.  Traditional Chinese Dietary Therapy classifies foods by  temperature, flavor, routes and actions what it tonifies and regulates.   Modern Macrobiotics modifies some of these traditional teachings but it is  historically rooted in practices of ancient Taoists.

Food Energetics is an ancient and very practical, easy system for  understanding the effects of food on our physical, mental, and spiritual well  being.  "Energetics" differs from its modern counterpart "Dietetics" in  several essential ways. Modern Dietetics determines food values in a  laboratory experiment with food in a raw, uncooked, undigested state.   Chinese/Macrobiotic Energetics assesses the true nutritional value of  specific foods after observation of the actions of the food has on humans  after it has been cooked and eaten.   Ancient Food Energetics carries the  authority of  5,000 years of trial and error cooking experience of human  beings behind it. 

To learn macrobiotic or Chinese dietary cooking, it is best to take cooking  classes from an experienced cooking instructor.  Cooking instructors often  have developed their profession through many years of their own self-healing  practices and serving as apprentices under major teachers, going to  conferences, studying at Kushi, Vega or Europe.  You can search the Internet  at www. Yahoo.com under "Macrobiotics" for international listings. Choosing a  cooking teacher is a little like choosing an art teacher.  It is a matter of  taste!   If you cannot locate a teacher to your liking in your area you can  be successful by beginning with a good cookbook.   There are many great ones  by sensational writers and cooks.  Free educational information is  available at your local library or online at www.enjoy-life.com

The Macrobiotic Way of Spirit

The Macrobiotic Study is an investigation and an expression of your own  uniqueness. It is not a science, not an intellectual study but your  practicing, living art of life.  And you are that work of art. You are the  result of all of your efforts. Your life is art and poetry. You are perfect  just like you are.

The question is not is this the macrobiotic way but are you living in harmony  with nature?   Are you fully present for this living experience.  Achieving  openness to life is the art.  Macrobiotics is a way of achieving openness to  all life and love through living non-exclusively.  This means not thinking  that you have the only way, that you have the only answer.

    We can view ourselves as artists working with this material, our bodymind  and spirit.  Macrobiotics is a natural system, you are the end goal, your  medium is your energy, food is the foundation, grain is the staple, yin and  yang are the scientific principles.

    The true reason for practicing any form or food therapy is to help one  become spiritually arrived.  It is not just to heal the body.  The body is  spirit manifested and so we care for it because we honor our spiritual  nature.

    The most important personal characteristic of the student is her/his  desire to discover how (s)he can enjoy a happier healthier daily life.    Since cooking and exercise changes the blood chemistry this brings about  corrections in long-standing troublesome imbalances of spiritual nature as  well as physical and emotional. The effect of a dietary practice is to  experience aesthetic arrest, to be fully present in the midst of life every  moment.  This is the principle of life in death and death in life. The true  goal of Macrobiotics is to experience joie d’vivre.

Phyllis Parun has devoted the past 17 years to  practicing self-care  techniques to create health and happiness in her own life.  Phyllis’ believe  that everyone can take charge of their own healthstyle has led her to study  with prominent masters of the Asian healing arts in cooking, shiatsu,  meditation and qigong.   Phyllis’ self-directed career path continues to  include teaching, publishing, exhibiting sculpture and writing poetry.  She  may be reached at phyllisparun@yahoo.com