Mindfulness Meditation number five.
Three,
Two,
One.
Something new to chew on.
Gratitude and mindful eating experience.
Welcome to mindfulness meditation.
My name is Robin Albertson-Wren,
And in this session we will practice mindful eating.
I encourage you to go choose something to practice with.
A piece of fruit,
Or cereal,
Or a cracker.
You can practice with a cup of tea or coffee.
Take a moment to pause this recording and get what you need.
Okay.
For mindful eating,
We are going to use all of our senses.
So if for some reason you do not choose to actually ingest your food item,
That is fine.
You can participate all the way up to that point.
So,
Holding your treat in front of you,
We are going to notice it visually.
What do you see?
I am holding a clementine,
So I'm noticing its round shape.
Its varied shades of orange.
The pockmarks or pores on its surface.
Think of three words to describe how your item looks.
Now,
Bring your item up to your nose and breathe in deeply.
How would you describe its smell?
Imagine describing its smell to someone who has never smelled it before.
Fruity may not do it justice.
Is it a light smell?
Or heavy?
Earthy?
Tangy?
Sweet?
Now,
Experience your item with your sense of touch.
Unwrapping items that may be covered.
How does it feel?
What is the weight of it?
Is it cool to the touch?
Or warm?
Is it melting?
What do you notice about its texture?
Next,
This may feel silly,
But you're going to bring the item up to your ear.
Can you hear anything?
Perhaps rubbing it gently between two fingers.
What do you notice?
Finally,
We will focus on taste.
Place your item in your mouth,
But don't chew it yet.
Just roll it around on your tongue,
Noticing how that feels.
What do you notice?
Are you aware of your saliva building in your mouth?
Now,
Take one bite and notice what changes.
Eventually,
Taking another bite,
Slowly chewing.
Can you notice what side of your mouth you began chewing on?
How your tongue moves your food around your mouth?
Do you taste it better in one area of your mouth more than another?
Although we can be aware of taste all over our tongues,
Our most prevalent sweet sensors are on the tips of our tongues.
When you're ready,
Take a moment to focus on swallowing.
See if you can be aware of the treat going down your throat.
Is there any lasting taste awareness?
The final part of mindful eating is cultivating gratitude.
So let's take some time to appreciate the story of your food treat.
What is the beginning of your food story?
Do you know how long it takes for a clementine tree to grow from a seedling to produce fruit?
Apple trees can take 10 to 15 years.
Apricots take at least four years,
And then can fruit for 20 years.
Clementines take an average of two to three years to produce fruit.
I imagine that 10 years or so ago,
A farmer said,
I have the best idea.
That's the beginning of my clementine story.
Take a moment to imagine and appreciate the story of your item.
Consider the time,
The weather,
Labor,
Protection,
Harvest,
Packaging and travel that went into your piece of food in order for it to be enjoyed by you today.
Remembering when and where you bought or harvested or received your item.
It gives you a whole new appreciation,
Doesn't it?
Recognizing perhaps all the ways in which we are connected to other humans who are working for us to grow,
Provide,
Deliver,
Serve food for our nourishment and enjoyment.
Settling here with your eyes closed or perhaps your gaze lowered.
Considering how to incorporate more awareness and gratitude around the food you bring into your body.
How do you want to better savor what you eat?
Consider taking one mindful bite at the start of your meal tomorrow.
One mindful sip of coffee.
Perhaps consider placing your fork down on your plate between bites.
What will shift for you in terms of awareness,
In terms of habits,
In terms of a sense of gratitude and connection?
Now your only job is to listen to the sound of the bell.
Staying with the sound until it completely disappears.
Taking a deep breath in.
And as you are ready,
Slowly blinking open your eyes to readjust to the light and to your space.
Perhaps keeping your gaze downward at first.
Taking a moment to set an intention for yourself.
An intention being a word or phrase to guide you as you leave this space and head out into the world.
Recognizing that an intention is different from a goal or a to-do list.
How do you want to be in the world?
Perhaps your intention is pause and notice.
Or savor.
Or thank you.
Whatever it is,
Tucking it away in your heart,
In your mind,
To carry with you into the rest of your day or night.
Thank you.
