There's a stigma surrounding the act of eating alone,
Isn't there?
Many of us in this world frequently eat alone,
And it's usually because our station in life is conducive to this habit.
We're either living alone,
Or we work a busy schedule,
Or it's simply our preference to eat alone.
What I do find unfortunate though is how,
Regardless of who we spend our dining experience with,
What I do find unfortunate though is we tend to distract ourselves while we eat by watching a show,
Or a movie,
Or listening to a podcast,
Or scrolling on social media.
How do you approach that time of the day when you sit down and eat,
On those mediocre,
Unspecial days when you're eating on your own at home,
Or cramming in a quick meal in between work hours,
Or just don't feel like planning anything?
When we're eating,
We often try to distract our minds from the current moment,
Because the activity of eating tends to feel like an empty void that sucks time away from our schedule,
And an empty void that ought to be filled.
I wonder how the quality of our meals might change if we learn to become interested in our food again.
Now,
I hope you brought with you today some water,
Along with a dish,
Or a snack,
Or a meal for conducting this exercise.
If you haven't already,
Please find a comfortable seat and place in front of you the food you hope to eat today.
And before we begin,
I encourage you to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths,
Slowly.
And take a moment to acknowledge all the people and all the work and energy that put this food on the table for you,
And mentally send them your gratitude and appreciation.
Imagine you are a creature that obtains energy and sustenance through your eyes,
Through your nose,
Ears,
Mouth,
And body,
Not just through eating.
And open your eyes now and take a look at the food in front of you.
Examine with curiosity all of its details.
You might notice its colors,
Or the way light interacts with each section of it,
Its textures,
And forms.
If it is available to you,
You may pick up a portion of the food with your hands,
Or some cutlery,
Or play around with it in any way you prefer,
And slowly look at it from a closer angle.
Feel satiated by the visuals.
Bring the food up to your nose and inhale its aroma.
What labels would you use to describe the smell?
And now the long-awaited eating.
Take a mouthful of food and feel the immediate overflow of sensation on your tongue.
Try not to chew for now,
And just feel the textures and flavors in your mouth,
And remember to continuously check in with your mind.
What is it telling you right now?
What is it asking you to do?
You might notice your mouth is watering and causing the food to disintegrate.
You might also notice the impulse to start chewing.
Slowly begin to chew.
Feel the way your teeth cut through all the layers of a food,
And the temperature of the food on the walls of your mouth.
And pay attention to the movement of your tongue as you continue chewing.
Can you be intentional about its movements?
See if you can recognize the purpose behind each movement,
And observe when each movement starts and ends,
And where it begins,
And why.
I encourage you to count the number of times you chew each mouthful before you swallow.
And while you are counting,
Don't forget to breathe.
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