Mindful Attention Practice: Awareness Of Eating

Mindful eating (i.e., paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment) is an approach to food that focuses on individuals’ sensual awareness of the food and their experience of the food. It has little to do with calories, carbohydrates, fat, or protein. The purpose of mindful eating is to help individuals savor the moment and the food and encourage their full presence in the eating experience. This naturally leads to healthier eating long-term.

Transcript

Set your intention to focus your full awareness on the process of eating.

Whenever other thoughts arise,

Notice them,

Gently dismiss them,

And remind yourself of your intention to pay attention to eating.

Notice how the food looks as it sits on your plate.

Be aware of the food's aroma,

Its color,

Its shape.

Before you start to eat,

Notice how your stomach feels.

Does it feel hungry,

Empty?

Is it comfortable,

Uncomfortable?

Can you connect how it feels with hunger?

Tune in to how your stomach feels and make sure you are hungry before you eat.

As you put the food on your fork,

Notice its weight and consistency.

As you place the food in your mouth,

Notice the aroma,

The temperature,

How it feels in your mouth.

As you chew,

Focus on the flavor,

The texture,

The chewiness.

Pay attention to how it feels when you chew the food.

Notice if it is tender,

Rough,

Slippery,

Smooth,

Tough,

Tangy,

Sweet,

Sour,

Hot,

Or cold.

Be aware of whether it sticks to your teeth.

If your mind wanders,

Just remember your intention and bring your attention back to eating.

Again,

Notice the feeling of food in your mouth,

On your teeth,

On your tongue,

On your lips.

Chew until it is completely ready to be swallowed.

Pay attention to how the food feels as you swallow and it leaves your mouth and slides down your throat.

Notice if there is any food still in your mouth or if it's empty now.

Tune in to how your stomach feels.

Notice how it feels different after you've eaten a little food and then after you have eaten a lot of food.

Repeat this process until your food is gone or until you feel full.