This meditation is meant to help you eat intuitively and tune into your body cues a little bit more each day.
Choose a quiet place where you won't be disturbed.
Get comfortable,
Either sitting or lying down.
Gently close your eyes and start focusing on your breath.
Notice how you breathe in and breathe out.
Follow your breath all along its path in your body.
Notice how the breath enters through the nose and exits through your mouth a little later.
Again,
Breathe in and breathe out.
Now,
I'd like you to imagine descending a staircase.
With each breath in,
You go down one step,
And with each step,
You relax more and more.
Let's begin.
1,
2,
3,
You're feeling increasingly relaxed,
4,
5,
You're now completely relaxed.
At the bottom of the staircase,
You find yourself standing in front of a massive oak door.
The door is embedded into a thick stone wall bearing rampant leaves.
I'd like you to open the door,
Leading to a small path winding through a wild garden.
Step onto the path through the wild garden,
And as you walk,
Notice your surroundings.
Perhaps you notice that around the path,
The garden is wild,
With tall grass and bushes.
As you progress,
The grass disappears,
Making way for ferns and shrubs.
The further you go into the garden,
The more the ferns and shrubs change into tall leafy trees.
It has now become a forest.
As you continue along the path,
The forest becomes denser and darker.
You keep following this well-marked path,
Which feels safe and well-maintained.
Despite the thick forest.
Suddenly,
You find yourself stopping at an intersection of several pathways.
All well-marked and heading more or less in the same direction.
Except for one small neglected path that you barely notice in the darkness of the dense forest.
Now,
Imagine if,
Instead of taking the usual safe and well-marked option,
What if you decided to take the little,
Very discreet path,
Which heads towards a completely different direction.
As you walk into the darkness on that little path going deeper into the forest,
The vegetation changes.
The towering pines are turning into magnificent trees with vibrant green leaves.
And the forest becomes brighter and brighter.
You continue on the small path,
Which gradually opens into a clearing,
Bathed in the warm sunlight.
Birds are chirping and you even notice a butterfly fluttering close by.
From afar,
You suddenly hear soft voices.
As you approach the clearing,
You see a group of people sitting around a large table.
They are talking,
Laughing and eating as you hear the sound of spoons on their plates.
You approach the table and notice that it's a large banquet.
Every dish you can possibly imagine and wish for is tabled on this endless buffet.
Everything is there in abundance.
Savory and sweet dishes,
Starters,
Snacks and desserts.
A person gets up,
Waves over to you and invites you to join them,
Offering you a chair.
As you walk towards the table and sit down,
You observe the people around you.
Some are having a little bit of food,
Others are eating a lot more and some are simply sitting without eating at all.
While you observe the people around you,
There is one thing you notice immediately.
Everyone is smiling and there is a peaceful and heartwarming atmosphere around the table.
Before looking at the dishes and deciding if you too would like to eat something,
You tune into your body to feel for that physical sensation of hunger,
That empty feeling in your stomach.
Because you know it is only with that feeling that you will eat.
And when you notice this crumbling feeling in your stomach,
Only then do you consider reaching out for the food that would please and nourish your body.
You scan the dishes on the table,
Guided by your body's signals dictating your choices.
This sensation is so strong,
Your mind simply has to obey to it.
Only then do you fill your plate with what feels right at this exact moment.
You sense a strong feeling of nourishment,
A desire for food that will feel and have a positive impact on yourself.
Before leaning in to eat,
You take a deep breath,
Look at your beautifully curated plate,
Pick up your fork or spoon,
Load a small portion of food on it and bring it to your mouth.
As you start to savour your meal mindfully,
Close your eyes to fully enjoy what you're eating,
Slowly.
As you sit back to fully focus on slowly chewing your food,
You savour the sensations the food leaves in your mouth,
The intense flavours,
The temperature,
The textures.
You even notice as the food moves from your mouth down to your stomach,
As you swallow your bites mindfully.
You look around and you notice that the people who are eating are doing the same.
They savour their meal slowly and mindfully.
Then they lean back,
Take a break before reaching out for another bite.
You carry on with eating as long as your body sends you the signal to do so.
Suddenly,
A strong and pleasant feeling of slight fullness arises in your body.
You know it's now time to stop eating.
Even if your plate is full.
Even if others are still eating.
Even if there's still so much food you'd like to taste.
It's so easy for you to put down your fork and stop eating,
Because you know you can eat more food at any moment,
As soon as your body signals it.
And you feel so good,
So light,
Because it's so easy for you to feel your body's hunger and society cues in any situation.
It's impossible for you to eat when you're not hungry.
To you,
The only valid reason to eat is to feel physically hungry.
There is no other way you feel you could eat,
Without that feeling of an empty stomach.
After finishing your meal,
You say goodbye to your table partners,
Get up with ease and start to make your way back to the small path.
You walk lightly towards the forest with its colorful trees,
And you smile because you realize that this feeling of lightness and connection with your body is always present and will never leave you.
You also know you can come back to this table at any time.
Everyone will still be there.
You keep walking on this path,
Which seems familiar,
Until you find yourself back in the lush garden,
Which now appears to have blossomed.
At the end of the path,
You open the oak door to find yourself at the bottom of the staircase,
And slowly,
You climb the steps to return to the present moment.
5.
Anchor this feeling of lightness and connection in your body and increase it tenfold.
4.
Project this feeling into the days and months to come.
3.
Gently return to your body.
2.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
And 1.
Open your eyes.
Awake,
Feeling light and happy.
