Welcome to your mindful eating practice.
I invite you to start with a small piece of food,
Perhaps a raisin,
A gummy,
A small piece of chocolate,
Any food you like,
Something small that you can focus on and chew.
Let's begin.
Start by settling into a comfortable seated position,
Feeling your body supported by the chair beneath you.
Feel your feet resting on the ground.
Start by taking a deep breath in and out.
As you breathe deeply,
Feel your belly expand to welcome the breath in.
Feel it relax as the breath flows back out,
Remaining focused on the rise and fall of the belly,
Accepting without judgment any thoughts or sensations that arise.
You may now pick up your small piece of food.
If it has a wrapper,
Hold it in your hand for a moment without unwrapping it.
Notice what thoughts arise as you are holding your food.
Notice any feelings as well.
Depending on the food you are holding,
Judgments may arise such as,
This is a bad food,
Or I shouldn't eat this.
Try to notice these thoughts and allow them to come and go without getting stuck or attached to them.
Throughout this practice,
Try to meet your thoughts this way,
With open non-judgmental awareness,
Allowing them to come and then go.
Remember,
Thoughts are not facts.
They are just thoughts.
Now notice what your food feels like in your hand.
If it has a wrapper,
You can now unwrap it.
Notice its texture,
Whether it's hard or soft.
Perhaps if it's chocolate,
It's begun to melt.
Notice the feeling of your food as if this is the first time you're holding it in your hand.
Be curious.
Notice any thoughts that come up about holding this food.
Slowly bring your food to your nose and notice its scent.
Perhaps it smells sweet or sour.
Notice any changes in the body that occur from smelling your food.
Perhaps your mouth is watering,
Or perhaps you notice a sensation of hunger in the stomach.
Slowly put a small piece of your food into your mouth,
But don't chew it right away.
Start by holding it in your mouth and noticing the texture.
What does it feel like in your mouth?
Are you able to taste this food right away,
Or does the food sit for a moment before the taste arises?
Noticing any thoughts you have about the taste and texture of this food,
Allowing your thoughts to come and go.
As you hold your food in your mouth,
You might notice a desire to start chewing,
An urge to swallow your food.
Just notice this urge and allow it to come and go.
Your food may begin to dissolve in your mouth.
You may notice the shape change.
Tuning in to whether you notice a sense of hunger.
Slowly now begin to chew the food.
If it has dissolved completely,
Go ahead and take another piece.
Chew slowly and notice how the food feels in your mouth as you chew it.
Does it feel soft or crunchy?
Notice the sensations in the mouth as you chew.
The sensation of the tongue moving and the teeth touching each other.
Notice what thoughts you're having about this experience.
Perhaps even thinking that this is silly.
And that is ok.
Allow your thoughts to arise,
Come and then go.
When you finish chewing your food,
You may swallow.
You might notice the sensation of the food as it moves down your throat,
Landing at the stomach.
Perhaps notice whether you can still taste this food even though it is no longer in your mouth.
Remaining curious,
Try to notice without judgment all aspects of this experience as if this were the first time you are eating this food.
Notice any thoughts or judgments that arise.
Notice any physical sensations,
Perhaps an urge to take another bite.
I invite you to repeat this process,
Mindfully,
Slowly,
Continuing to eat your food.
Noticing thoughts and judgments as they arise and allowing them to go without becoming stuck or attached.
Remain present in the sensations of your experience,
Separate from your thoughts.
As you continue to mindfully eat your food,
You may notice the mind wandering.
Simply return your mindful awareness back to your food and to the experience of eating.
You may continue this mindful eating practice for as long as you like,
And as often as you like.
I invite you now to tune into a sense of gratitude for taking the time to complete this practice today.
This concludes our practice.
