Beyond the Cushion: Food, Gathering, and Community as Mindfulness Practice
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What if one of the most profound mindfulness practices isn't found on a meditation cushion, but around a table instead?
In this conversation, meditation teacher Meryl Arnett sits down with anthropologist, meditation teacher and author Dr. Ashanté Reese to explore how food nourishes not only our bodies, but our histories, our communities, and our capacity to care for one another. As Our Mindful Nature enters its final series after 11 years, this episode opens a rich exploration of food as a doorway into everyday mindfulness.
Dr. Reese is the author of Gather: Black Food, Nourishment, and the Art of Togetherness, and together she and Meryl examine the gardens, family reunions, repasts, and mutual aid spaces where ancestors are honored, cultural traditions are sustained, and communities practice radical hospitality, all as expressions of mindfulness itself.
What To Expect:
- Why the meditation cushion is just one small entry point into a much larger awakeness
- The meaning of nourishment beyond food: tending to our social bodies, preserving memory, and cultivating belonging
- How gathering around food has historically been communal, and what we lose when we treat it as purely private
- The gap between our stated values and how we actually live, and how mindfulness (and food) can help close it
Featured Guest
Dr. Ashanté Reese is a cultural anthropologist and author of Gather: Black Food, Nourishment, and the Art of Togetherness (W.W. Norton). Her research explores community, belonging, and how people come together around food. She is based in Austin, TX, and has been a dedicated meditation practitioner for years.
Find Dr. Reese at https://www.amreese.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dramreese/ and on Threads at @areese07.
Resources Mentioned
Gather: Black Food, Nourishment, and the Art of Togetherness by Dr. Ashanté Reese — available at indie bookstores, including:
BEM of Brooklyn (first bookstore in the country dedicated to Black food): https://www.bembrooklyn.com/
Yes Please Books (Atlanta area): https://www.yespleasebooks.com/
After 11 incredible years, this summer series marks the final season of Our Mindful Nature. Stay tuned in the coming episodes as Meryl shares more about what's next.
Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support.
Find her at: https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen
This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.
