CMP Mindful Eating Exercise

This is a guided Mindful Eating Meditation. A female guide leads the listener through a period of settling int​o the body, then stabilizing the mind, then engaging in a Mindful Eating practice. It is noted that the listener should have a food item handy before the meditation starts (traditionally a raisin is used).

Transcript

Welcome to Community Mindfulness Project's guided meditation for mindful eating. So for this practice, You'll need to have before you some small food item. Traditionally, This practice is done with a raisin, But you can do it with a strawberry or a piece of popcorn or a bit of chocolate, Really anything else that you like. So before we get started with the actual mindful eating part of the practice, Let's begin by integrating the mind and the body and settling into the body. So allowing the eyelids to slide closed or directing your gaze down in front of you. Taking a moment to begin to move your attention through your body just to notice any sensations that are there. Maybe starting with the top of the head if you like. Just checking into the body, Moving gradually through the body from the top of the head all the way down to the feet. Noticing any sensations that are present in the face, The head and the neck. Noticing any sensations that are present in the shoulders, The arms or the hands. Noticing any sensations that are present along the back, The lower back, The sternum, The abdomen. Noticing any sensations that are present through the hips and to the legs and down to the feet. Noticing without analysis or judgment. Really here we're just sensing into the body and being present for the experience of the body. And now taking a moment to stabilize the mind and we'll do this just by placing our bare attention on the sensations that arise from the movement of air in and out of the body. And you may choose to attend to the sensations at the belly or the feeling of the air just beneath the tip of the nose. Allowing the breath to move in its own natural rhythm. Just noticing what it feels like to be breathing. Seeing the opportunity to strengthen our attention muscle when we notice that our mind has wandered off away from the sensations of breathing, Just smiling and knowing that the practice is to be aware of this and to bring it back to the sensations of breathing. And we do this over and over again. And now that we've arrived at the surface of the body, We're going to focus on the body and arrived in this present moment in the mind and the body and improved our ability to pay attention to what's going on in this moment. We can begin our mindful eating practice and we'll start by taking whatever food object is before us. I've got a raisin here and very intentionally making the decision to reach towards it and to pick it up. And as we pick it up then to just notice what it feels like between our fingers as it rests there. And then holding out our other hand with the palm up, We can very slowly and intentionally place the raisin or whatever you're using in the palm of the hand. Now we sit here and bring attention to what it feels like to hold the item in the palm of our hand. Realizing whether there's a sense of weight or even weightlessness to it if it's quite small. Is there a strong sensation attached with it sitting in the palm of your hand or barely anything or something in between? Do any thoughts arise now that we've placed this in our hand? Are there any emotions present as a result of holding this in our hand? And are there any physical reactions? And we're just paying very close attention to the full spectrum of our experience in this moment. You may wish to allow the eyelids to slide closed if you've had them open to see if anything changes with the eyes closed versus when the eyes were open. So very deliberately and with great intentionality now noticing everything that happens when you do this, Reaching back over and picking the item back up from the palm of the hand, Maybe noticing if the two hands come in contact with each other during this, Picking it up, Noticing again what it's like to hold the item maybe between thumb and forefinger if that's how you're holding it or however you are. Now really bringing it up to the face so the eyes can really look at it between the fingers there and turning it around bit by bit to have a look at it. If you'd like to place it back in the palm of the other hand and nudge it around with the fingers so you can turn it over, What you're really doing is looking at this item as though you've never seen it before, Bringing your beginner's mind to it as if it's your first encounter with an item of its type, Invoking a sense of curiosity. When you're ready then inviting you to pick it up if it's been in the palm of the hand or not just to now bring the item up close to one of your ears and you may wish then to squeeze it a little bit or shake it or roll it around between your thumb and forefinger, Noticing if there's any sounds that it makes. You may see if the sounds differ, If the eyes are open or closed and you may choose to very slowly and deliberately switch hands and bring the item up to the other ear, Noticing if you hear it any differently at all on that side. Maybe noticing if there are emotions or reactions that arise to putting food up to your ear to listen to it. Here it's a great reminder that bringing a sense of play to meditation and mindfulness and a sense of curiosity is really appropriate and helpful. From here now you can take whatever it is that you've got and place it just under the tip of your nose. Then seeing if there's a scent associated with the item. Seeing if it smells like anything else or if the smell is in any way surprising. How might you describe it to someone? Being present also for thoughts or emotions that might arise and physical sensations. Are there any changes in the body that result from having this piece of food right underneath your nose for you to smell it? When you're ready then placing your food item just on the lower lip of your mouth without putting it in your mouth and allowing it to rest there. Understanding what that experience is like in all its dimensions. What is it like to put food just outside your mouth but not put it in your mouth? When you're ready very deliberately and intentionally opening the mouth and placing the food on the tongue without chewing it at all. Just allowing it to rest on the tongue. Understanding what that's like. Then when you're ready beginning to move the item around in the mouth. Noticing what has to happen to move the item around in the mouth. Noticing any urges maybe to chew it. Any physical reactions in the body that come from having food in the mouth. When you're ready beginning to slowly chew it but not swallow it. What is that like? What flavors may be released? What textures do you notice? Are the flavors constant or do they change as it rests in your mouth? Is it hard not to swallow it? And when you're ready then swallowing what's in your mouth. And then resting in what the experience is like now for you. Does the experience of eating end when you've swallowed whatever it is that you've been eating? And now if you like taking a few moments to reflect back on the practice. Something that struck you about the experience. Maybe remembering what arose for you mentally, Emotionally and physically over the course of the practice. Just making some mental notes. Good. And when you're ready, Opening your eyes if they've been closed, Inviting some movement and maybe around the shoulders and the arms, The wrists, The fingers, The ankles and the toes. Wishing you a wonderful rest of your day, Hoping that this has served you in some way. And may all beings everywhere without exception have what they need to sustain themselves physically, Emotionally and spiritually. Take care.