Mindful eating,
Making sure you have your favorite snack nearby.
Let's start by closing your eyes and taking a few slow deep breaths to get comfortable and settle in.
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.
Now connecting with your body,
Slowly becoming aware of your body,
Making sure your feet are firm on the ground and you're sitting upright in your chair,
Making sure that you are completely comfortable.
Becoming aware now of your experience in this present moment.
With your awareness in this moment start to notice any thoughts,
Any sensations,
Maybe even any emotions that you may be experiencing right now.
And coming back to your breath,
Continuing to breathe in and out in your own comfortable rhythm.
See if you can start to tune in to the sensations that you have in your body.
You may be feeling hungry or full,
Perhaps you're thirsty or just craving a specific food.
See if you can tune into these sensations without judgment,
Simply building awareness for the information your body is providing to you right now.
Now opening your eyes,
Bring your attention to the item of food that you have nearby,
Your favorite snack.
Pick it up and begin to hold it in the palm of your hand or between your thumb and forefinger.
Now imagine that this is the first time that you've ever seen anything like this before.
Noticing its color,
The shape,
The size.
Letting your eyes scan over it completely.
Looking into the cracks and crevices,
Observing any unique features.
Imagine everything that helped get this item into your hand.
The sunshine,
The rain and soil that fueled the plant's growth.
The people who harvested each plant with care,
The knowledge and innovation behind the farming,
Transportation,
Storage and delivery of this food.
Now see if you can feel yourself with a sense of gratitude for everyone who was involved in the process of preparation of this favorite snack of yours.
See if you can feel that gratitude in your body.
The same time feeling your breath but feeling the gratitude in your body.
Now close your eyes and turn your attention to the snack in your hands,
The sensation of the snack in your hands.
Move your snack between your fingers and feel its texture.
Exploring any ridges or folds.
Notice the temperature of the snack.
Is it cool or warm,
Wet,
Slimy or sticky?
Well maybe it's dry and brittle.
Now bring the item up to your nose,
Holding it a couple of centimeters away from your nose.
With every inhalation become aware of any smells or aromas.
Does the smell cause any memories to arise?
And notice any sensations or reactions in your body in response to the smell.
You may even find that your belly is growling or your mouth is watering in preparation for your yummy snack.
Now bring your snack to rest on your lips.
How does that feel?
Just take a moment to notice any other sensation on your lips in your mouth or in your body.
You may now place your snack in your mouth.
Notice how your arm and hand perfectly position it in your mouth without any conscious thought.
Do not chew it.
Instead allow the snack to just be.
Be in your mouth,
Exploring it with your tongue or rolling it around to different parts of your mouth.
Continue to breathe and build awareness of any physical sensations or reactions in your body.
And when you're ready take one or two slow bites and focus on the sensations in your mouth.
The burst of flavor and waves of taste that follow as you chew.
The sound of your snack squeaking or your teeth chomping.
Notice how the sensations and flavor may change over time.
Then explore how the snack itself is changing,
Dissolving and slowly disappearing.
Notice when you feel like swallowing what kind of sensations arise.
Now you can swallow your snack.
As you are swallowing try to imagine the path that the food follows from your mouth all the way down your esophagus to your belly.
Notice any sensations that linger in your mouth.
And now coming back to your body and your breath.
Breathing in deeply and slowly and exhaling slowly out through your mouth releasing any negative energy.
So breathing in through your nose deeply and slowly through the nose and out through the mouth.
Taking two more deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth in your own comfortable rhythm.
And when you're ready slowly open your eyes bring yourself back into the room.
I hope that you enjoyed the experience of eating mindfully.
