Which brings us to today's eating meditation,
Cheese and crackers.
If you don't have cheese and crackers or your chosen snack,
Now is a good time to pause this recording and go get it.
Clearly cheese and crackers are a more substantial food than donut holes from last session.
It's one of those foods that's easy to end up eating more than you intended.
So today,
Let's see what happens when you mindfully eat this common snack food.
Ready?
Close your eyes and take several deep,
Slow breaths,
Becoming centered and relaxed.
Now open your eyes and take one bite-sized piece of your chosen food and look at it carefully.
Then place it in your mouth and slowly move it around,
Noticing any and all sensations.
As you bite into this first piece,
Notice how your whole mouth reacts to this food.
Notice how the taste and other sensations change or remain the same.
And notice how your body reacts to the food,
How your body is giving you feedback about this bite long before the supposed 20 minutes it takes to register fullness.
What do you notice?
Do you notice the urge to keep eating or something else?
When you finish the first piece,
Pause and notice how you feel.
Do you feel hungry?
And how do you know if you feel hungry?
Hungry or not,
Ask yourself,
Do you want another piece?
How do you know if you really want a second piece or not?
Pause and reflect.
And if you do want more,
By all means,
Help yourself to a second piece.
As you begin to examine and eat this piece mindfully,
Notice any and all differences and similarities to the first piece.
Taking your time,
Noticing what you notice in your mouth and in your whole body.
Continuing to eat in silence now,
As many bites as you'd like,
Until you feel complete.
So you might need to pause this recording to give yourself enough time to do just that.
Let me ask you a few questions.
How'd you do?
How did mindfully eating cheese and crackers compare to other times when you've eaten them mindlessly?
What did you notice about pleasure and displeasure?
About hunger?
About satisfaction?
Pause and reflect.
And breathe.
Now if you're hoping that mindful eating will help you lose weight,
Well,
As I've said before,
There's a good chance it will.
But here's the thing.
While it can increase awareness and counteract compulsive overeating,
When used mechanically for weight loss,
It loses much of its value.
Mindful eating is not mechanical.
Paying close attention to the everyday activity of eating is a doorway to yourself,
To understanding your basic needs,
Your deepest desires,
Your hopes and dreams.
