Mindful Chocolate Tasting

Slow down and reconnect with your senses in this guided mindful chocolate tasting. Through gentle awareness and appreciation of each of the five senses, you’ll experience chocolate in a new, more intimate way. This practice brings you into the present moment, deepens sensory pleasure, and offers a grounding reset for both body and mind with presence, taste, and a little joy.

Transcript

Welcome to this mindful chocolate tasting.

I'm Marianne DeCleer.

Thank you for joining me for this slightly different experience.

Before we get started,

Take a moment to get into a comfortable seated position with your chocolate still in its wrapper nearby.

We'll begin with an appreciation of the five senses before getting into the tasting.

So let's settle in.

Sit with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed.

Let your arms rest naturally on your thighs.

Keep your head aligned with your spine.

Close your eyes.

Relax the muscles in your face,

In your neck.

Feel your shoulders dropping down naturally.

Relax your arms,

Your hands.

Feel the muscles in your back relax.

Release your chest.

Feel your belly unwinding.

Relax your pelvis,

Hips,

And buttocks.

Release the muscles in your legs and your feet.

Feel your whole body relaxed.

I invite you to bring your attention to your nose.

Touch it gently,

Exploring its shape.

Feel your nostrils.

Notice the air flowing in and out.

Feel the coolness of the air as you inhale and the warmth of the air as you exhale.

Then you can let your hands rest gently on your thighs.

Take a moment to imagine your nose's role in your body.

Not only does it facilitate breath and filter the air,

But it is also able to smell.

Notice any surrounding scents.

Imagine pleasant aromas or your favorite perfume.

Things you love to smell.

Become aware of your sense of smell.

Give thanks for your sense of smell.

Now shift your focus to your mouth and touch your lips to feel their shape.

Notice your tongue,

The roof of your mouth.

Run your tongue along your teeth,

Upper and lower.

Feel the presence of your saliva.

Swallow if you need to.

And to let your hands rest softly on your lap.

Think about how your mouth serves your body.

Not only does it allow you to express yourself through speaking,

Singing,

Or laughter,

You use it to eat and drink,

And it allows you to taste beautiful flavors.

Think about salty,

Sweet,

Acidic,

Or bitter tastes.

Imagine the flavors you enjoy.

Bring to mind your favorite thing to eat or drink.

Tune into your sense of taste.

Give thanks for your sense of taste.

And now bring your attention to your ears.

If you like,

You can rest your elbows on your knees and lean your upper body forward as you gently touch your ears.

Feel their shape,

The opening of your ear canal.

You can place your palms over your ears and play with the pressure.

Notice the change in sounds and tones.

And then you can rest your hands back down and stay leaned over.

Reflect on how your ears support you.

Imagine pleasant sounds in nature,

Music you enjoy,

Or the voices of your loved ones.

Become aware of your sense of hearing.

Give thanks for your sense of hearing.

Now,

Still in this leaned over position,

Bring your focus to your eyes.

Touch your eyelids,

Your eyelashes.

Feel your eyes resting in their sockets.

You can gently place your fingertips on your eyelids and move them very gently and slightly to notice the shifts in color or light.

And now you can rest your hands and come back to your original upright posture.

Think of the function your eyes serve.

Imagine pleasant images,

Colors,

Landscapes,

Enjoyable shapes.

Bring to mind your favorite views.

Awaken to your sense of sight.

Give thanks for your sense of sight.

Focus now on your fingertips.

Consider what your fingertips allow you to do in sense of time.

Imagine your fingertips allow you to touch your hair,

Your face.

Notice their texture,

Their form.

Continue down to touch your neck.

Move down to your chest.

And feel the difference between your skin and the fabric of your clothing.

Continue moving downwards,

Touching your belly,

Your pelvis.

Maybe there's a change of texture from one fabric to the next.

Continue down your legs.

And try to get down to your feet,

If possible.

Notice all the different materials and the texture.

And gently sit upright again.

And relax your hands on your feet.

Imagine soft,

Comforting textures.

Think about the textures you particularly enjoy to touch.

Connect to your sense of touch.

Give thanks for your sense of touch.

Welcome the pleasant sensations your senses bring you.

Notice the amazing ways your body connects you to the world.

Use your senses to truly feel and listen to your body.

Become aware of the richness of your sensory experience.

And bring your attention back to the points of contact now,

Of your body and the support beneath you.

Take a deep breath in through the nose.

And exhale loudly to reawaken your energy.

Come back to your normal breath.

And gently move your feet and hands.

You can stretch.

And when you're ready,

You can open your eyes.

And now we're going to go into our mindful chocolate tasting with this deepened connection to our senses.

Look at the wrapper of your piece of chocolate.

Take in all its details,

The colors,

The text,

The form,

The contrasts.

Observe it as if it were for the first time.

And now slowly take it in your hands and open it.

Listen to the sound of the wrapper being opened.

Look at the aluminum foil surrounding the chocolate,

If that's how it's wrapped.

Take a good look at the chocolate inside.

You may already have hints of its scent.

Use your sense of sight to notice its color.

Its shape.

Its thickness.

Perhaps it has engravings or patterns.

See every detail as if this were your first time eating chocolate.

Now bring your attention to the feel of the chocolate between your fingers as you hold it.

Notice its texture,

Its firmness.

Maybe it's starting to soften and your fingers feel a little sticky.

Feel the sensation of the chocolate against your skin as if discovering it for the first time.

Bring the chocolate close to your nose.

Inhale its aroma.

Is it strong?

Subtle?

What's the first note you detect?

Cocoa?

Sugar?

Milk?

Pay attention to the blend of scents.

Notice how pleasant they are.

Continue your sensory journey and break off a piece.

Maybe it makes a little sound.

And now bring the chocolate to your mouth.

Notice every sensation as if for the first time.

Feel it touch your teeth and bite into it.

Did it snap easily?

Was it soft?

Was it soft or hard?

And to now focus on your mouth.

The sweetness spreading across your palate.

The increase in saliva.

The blend of flavors.

Experience it as if you'd never tasted chocolate before.

It's not just sweet.

You might notice a hint of bitterness.

The taste of milk or cocoa butter.

Notice the texture.

How it melts in your mouth.

Each chew softens it further until it becomes creamy.

Feel the chocolate coating your tongue.

Maybe clinging to your teeth.

You run your tongue over your teeth and feel it everywhere.

You swallow effortlessly and then pause.

If you want to continue with a second bite,

Continue on tuning into all the sensations.

Color.

Smell.

Sounds.

Texture.

And taste.

Once finished,

Take in all the lingering sensations.

The pleasure,

The joy that one small piece has given you.

And realize it's not just the taste.

You've experienced this piece of chocolate with all five senses.

You've rediscovered it.

You've tasted the richness and the subtleties of its flavors.

You've seen how much sensory information is hidden in just one piece.

And notice you're already satisfied.

Remember,

These sensations are still within you,

Always within you.

And so is the memory of eating mindfully with your five senses.

Use this way of tasting in your everyday life and awaken to your senses.

It's a powerful way to return to the present moment,

To step out of your thoughts.

And now reconnect with your body's points of contact.

Become aware of the sounds inside and outside.

Take a deep breath in through the nose to energize you.

Exhale everything.

And then come back to a normal breath.

Once again,

If you like,

You can begin to move your body and stretch,

Yawn,

Or sigh.

Take the time to reflect on the sensations that remain in the body.

You can write it down if you like.

Feel free to share any experiences in the comments,

Even if it's just a word or two.

And remember that you can come back to this recording any time you want to return to a guided mindful tasting.

You can also try it out with different foods.

Thank you once again for joining me here today for this mindful chocolate tasting.