Welcome.
This is an exercise which is designed to bring you to mindfulness,
That is to bring your full attention to here and now.
And because you can be mindful with anything,
Today we're going to do a special meditation called Chocolate Meditation.
So for this meditation you'll need a small piece of chocolate.
And before we dive into the exercise,
Just take a moment now to notice how you are as you come into this exercise.
So just notice what's going on with you at the moment.
How are you feeling physically?
What's your emotional landscape like?
What thoughts are drifting through your head?
What are the external stimuli that are affecting you?
Are you seeing,
Hearing,
Smelling things which are changing your internal landscape?
And just notice these things without necessarily having to decide that they're good or bad.
So now start to notice your own attitude towards the chocolate and the prospect of the chocolate meditation.
Is your attention on it?
Or is your attention elsewhere?
Are you keenly waiting to get to the chocolate?
If you have a block of chocolate,
Please break off a square now.
Or if you have a box,
Please choose one chocolate.
Do you find it easy to choose which chocolate to take?
What is that process of choosing?
What do you notice in your mind and in your body?
And once you've taken the chocolate,
Just hold it on the palm of your hand.
If you can.
And notice what that feels like.
How does the chocolate look on the palm of your hand?
What's your response to it?
What are the sensations in your hand and in the rest of your body as that chocolate sits there?
What are your thoughts?
Is there any urge to just eat the chocolate?
Or maybe you're thinking this is a silly exercise.
Just notice those thoughts.
Bring the chocolate up now,
Closer to your face and notice what goes into that movement.
Which muscles are moved?
Again,
What are your thoughts?
What are your sensations and emotions?
Maybe leaning in now to smell the chocolate.
Does it have the aroma you expected?
Did you have expectations?
And now you're going to pop the chocolate into your mouth and just leave it there for a moment.
And you might even want to close your eyes at this point.
Because you're going to be focusing your entire attention on this experience.
This internal experience of being you,
Here,
Now,
With the chocolate.
So notice how that chocolate feels and tastes.
Where on your tongue do you taste the chocolate?
Notice if that changes as time passes.
Are you having any physiological responses to the chocolate?
What thoughts are present?
Are you content to just hold the chocolate and allow it to melt?
Or are you keen to chew or to swallow?
Is it comfortable?
And now if you've been wanting to take a bite or to swallow that chocolate,
You can allow yourself to do that and bring this spirit of noticing with curiosity that we've been practicing.
Bring this spirit to the action so that you notice what goes on in your head and in your body as you do so.
And I'll let you finish your chocolate in quiet now,
Being completely in the experience.
And when you've finished you can open your eyes and come back to the room.
And that's it!
