Hello again,
This is Leah,
And this is a meditation for mindfulness before you eat.
Get in a comfortable position in your chair and make sure you're sitting upright.
Now ask yourself,
What are you hungry for?
Try to think about why you want this food.
Do you want it simply because you're hungry?
Or is there a deeper need present?
Maybe you just got a deep craving for this food.
Or maybe you are trying to cope with your emotions or stressors.
That's okay too,
But it's good to label it to bring you some control.
Sometimes our mind and body don't agree on what we want to eat.
See if you can decipher if there's a difference between what your mind wants to eat and what your body wants to eat.
A lot of the time our mind wants food that is more fun than maybe our body needs.
But that's okay.
You're allowed to follow what your mind wants as long as you are also serving the needs of your body.
Think about how this food will help you,
Giving you energy,
Satisfying your hunger or cravings,
Or even just making you feel happy and content.
Food can give us many things.
Energy,
Strength,
Satisfaction.
Think also about who you're about to eat this food with.
Maybe your family,
Maybe friends.
Or perhaps you're alone.
Either way,
Try to really savor the food you're about to eat.
Think about the taste of the food in your mouth,
The textures,
The different experiences you have as you eat,
Including that of chewing and swallowing.
See if you can also eat with limited distractions.
Instead of watching a video,
Listening to music,
Or talking constantly,
Try to really be present during the experience of eating.
This will not only allow you to appreciate the food more,
But it will enable you to tell when you are full.
Come back to this once you are done eating,
And we will finish the meditation.
Now that you're done eating,
See how you feel.
Do you feel more satisfied or satiated than if you were to eat with a distracted mind?
I hope this meditation made you curious about the act of eating and how to be more mindful during those experiences.
Thank you for listening.
