This recent news post on Food Consumer caught my attention, reporting that the governor of Connecticut had interfered with a bill containing a requirement for labeling foods with GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) that was predicted to pass easily. The section of the bill requiring the labeling was removed in a closed door meeting of the governor and his lawyers.

This makes me sad. What is so awful about labeling and allowing us to know what is in our food and choose? I’m guessing that Monsanto, the company who controls the market for gmo agriculture, is worried that if we have the opportunity, we will choose real food instead of engineered.

This issue is very political, and you have perhaps heard about the bullying and subversion of legislative processes used to promote the agenda of this very large corporation through PBS shows or other news. The size and gravity of this issue can be overwhelming for anyone, and my intention here is not to depress anyone, but to educate, and to point at the connection to mind and spirit of the food we put into our bodies.

The connection I see here is the way in which attempts to control the natural processes of the earth for agriculture, with things like chemicals and GMO’s seems to be backfiring on us in a huge way. This extreme resistance to what is – pests and diseases that are a natural part of growing food, is creating a chain of negative consequences – depleted soils and contaminated food, air and water. Any organic farmer or gardener will tell you if you care for the soil and respect the workings of mother nature and the place even the seeming pests have in the web, you can still reap plenty from agricultural pursuits.

One of the core tenets of mindulness is acceptance of what is – because suffering results when we resist reality. Man’s attempt to ignore reality and force nature into submission through manipulation of plant biology is failing and seems to be already causing suffering and even death (I can’t believe how many folks I know now with puzzling digestive issues that can’t be diagnosed, and it just makes me wonder…).

The other relevant mindfulness concept here is the GMO focus on yield without respect to quality. When we get trapped in or fooled by the importance of appearances, it’s a struggle that never ends, because it never stops to look beneath at the empty feeling that’s driving this focus on appearances in the first place. Just like the bigger better looking fruit we are fooled into buying that doesn’t have the flavor or nutrition of the authentic version.

I’ve talked recently in the meditation group about the idea of being aligned with what is and how this promotes more peace and balance, and allows us to make wiser decisions. What is there in your life that you resist to your own detriment? The key to finding out what those things are is to notice what things you keep fighting or wishing were different.

Stop and ask yourself, “what would it be like if I accepted this thing as it is?” How would it feel? What might you do differently as a result? It could be something as simple as accepting the truth of how much sleep you need. Some of us even resist other simple facts such as needing to eat, or take breaks, or go to the bathroom. For others, it’s about accepting the boss or the job as they are. Whatever it is that you’ve been resisting, once you identify the truth of it, the next question is, “given what is, what’s the completely and totally obvious next step?’

I’d love to know how this turns out if you try it!

—

Note: For a little basic information on the reasons you might want to consider avoiding GMO foods, you can check out this article at the Non-GMO Shopping Guide.