MIDL 32/36: Insight Meditation: Mindfulness Of Tasting

In this meditation, Stephen Procter will guide you in the insight meditation skill of observing the autonomous (anatta) nature of the process of tasting and how to relax the effort of attention that supports it. As insight develops your mind will weaken its identification with what you taste and thereby more easily let go of tendencies of your mind to be attracted and averse towards what you taste in daily life. Support articles and instructions for this guided meditation can be found in the Free Online MIDL Insight Meditation Course by checking Stephens Procter's teacher profile.

Transcript

During this mindfulness training we will investigate the fourth sense door of tasting.

To do this you'll need a piece of fruit,

Either a banana or an apple,

Or something easy to eat.

Pause the recording at this place and we'll start when you get back.

Now start out by taking your meditation posture and closing your eyes ever lightly.

Start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.

Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.

Becoming aware of any sounds around you and allowing the change within the sound to hold your attention.

Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.

Now slowly bring your awareness into your body.

Becoming aware of any warmth or coolness within your body,

Holding them gently in mind.

Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.

Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.

Also becoming aware of the touch of your hands.

And the pressure of your body as it rests on the chair or on the floor.

And the pressure of your body as it rests on the floor.

The awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.

And the awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.

And the awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.

Coming back into your body.

Now we're going to start to observe the sense store of taste and notice its interaction with the mind.

First we're going to play with bringing images of food to the mind and observe what happens.

I'd like you to bring to mind your favorite piece of cake.

Its perfect texture.

Maybe cream,

Maybe jam.

Its sweetness.

Imagine that cake within your mouth.

Maybe you can taste this imaginary cake.

Maybe you can smell it or see it.

Now imagine you had some ice cream to eat with this cake.

It may be vanilla.

It may be chocolate.

Maybe the ice cream is caramel.

Over that ice cream you add some custard.

Nice and warm,

Melt in the ice cream.

Soaking into the cake.

Notice how the flavor within your mouth changes.

Just gently observing the experience.

Now bring to mind a banana.

Notice how you can taste the banana within your mouth.

Maybe you like the banana,

Maybe you don't.

Notice how you can almost feel its texture,

Its smell.

Now imagine you're washing the meal down with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate.

Very good quality.

Nice and rich and smooth.

And you're gently sipping that hot chocolate.

Notice how the taste and texture appear.

Notice how some parts of taste are mental,

Not physical.

This way play around by bringing up a food of your choice.

Now bring to mind something you really like.

Notice that when you bring to mind a food that you really like,

There's a pull towards it.

A craving for it,

A desire to have that food.

What is the desire to have that food feel like?

Where do you experience that desire?

Is it in your body or is it in your mind?

Does it have an elemental quality to it?

Is it heavy or light?

Is it hard or soft?

Maybe it's warm or cool.

Does it have a quality of wetness or dryness?

See if you can experience the elemental quality of the desire to have that food.

I ask you to take some slow softening breaths and soften relax into that desire.

Soften into that feeling.

Now we're going to swap foods.

I'd like you to bring to mind an image of a food that you don't like.

Some type of food that you don't enjoy eating.

Bringing it to mind.

Notice the taste arise within your mouth.

Notice its flavour,

Its texture.

Can you notice any aversion towards this food?

What elemental qualities are present in not wanting to eat the food,

Not wanting to taste it?

Now I'd like you to take some slow softening breaths and soften relax into that desire.

Soften relax into that feeling.

Now bringing awareness back into your body.

Becoming very present.

Just sitting here now.

And when you're ready you can gently open your eyes.

Just becoming aware of seeing.

Aware of being here in the room.

Now allow your eyes to go to the piece of fruit that you selected earlier.

Notice how your eyes draw to that fruit.

Can you almost taste that piece of fruit in your mouth?

Has your saliva started to run to change?

Notice the desire to reach for the fruit and mindfully follow that desire.

Feel its touch on your hand as you pick it up.

At present I'm peeling a banana.

When ready bring the piece of fruit to your face.

Don't put it in your mouth,

Just smell it.

Do you like the smell?

How do you know that you like it?

Does this feeling of liking appear in your body?

Can you notice the effect that the smell has on the taste within your mouth?

Now bring the piece of fruit mindfully to your mouth.

Putting it into your mouth,

Biting and slowly chewing.

When you're chewing the fruit what elemental qualities can you feel?

Can you experience the earth element in this food?

Maybe softness,

Maybe hardness.

Can you experience the fire element in this food?

Maybe warmth,

Maybe coolness.

What is this texture like?

Can you experience the water element in this food?

Is it wet or dry?

Notice how you can focus on the texture of this food.

As you gently chew the flavour starts to disappear.

What is the food in your mouth like without flavour?

As the flavour fades,

Notice your desire to keep chewing the food also fades.

Notice the desire to experience more flavour arise.

The desire to swallow the food,

Now swallow it.

And feel the food going down the back of your throat,

Moving down into your belly.

Now following the same process,

Lifting a new piece of the fruit to your mouth.

I'm going to create a period of silence now for you to eat and observe.

Notice how present you become when being aware of the sense of taste.

Imagine this ninety decades of looks of an awesome.

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When you swallow the food,

Notice the feeling of it going down your throat towards your stomach.

Notice any desire to have another piece of food.

Also notice the desire to not have another piece of food.

Where and how you experience this desire.

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Now bringing your awareness back into your body,

You can place a piece of fruit down by your side.

In closing your eyes ever lightly,

Start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.

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Just sitting here now.

And when you are ready you can gently open your eyes.

Just becoming aware of seeing,

Aware of being here in the room.

And thank you for spending this time meditating with me.

Take care of yourself and have a wonderful day.

And goodbye.

Reviews

Great experience, thank you! Another tool in my awareness toolbox! Thank you for this course!

Thank you, Stephen. I have never thought eating, tasting and noticing things in this way. But all you said is so true. Intresting!

A very interesting meditation, it’s amazing how powerful the memory of food is. The concept of desire to move towards or away from pleasantness or unpleasantness is really useful, and the part that I’ve found myself noticing as I go about my day.

Wonderful, really enjoying the senses sequence!!! Really surprising what you experience with them if you really focus on them!!!! Thanks so much

Thank you Stephen! Seems that the skills you cover in this training session will be helpful as tools when I am tempted to overeat. I tend to binge eat sometimes when I am upset. Thanks again 🙏

Excellent! Great meditation. 😁🙏

Food experience is very fun:)

This is a very interesting meditation, making me reflect on likes and dislikes in specific as well as general areas - not only to food.

I enjoy this practice with food, and also with tea :)

This practice is not new to me, and I noticed years ago that if one eats mindfully, one becomes satisfied more quickly, with less food. We tend to eat quickly, almost as a reflex, and then we are full, but not necessarily satisfied, with food or with life. Slowing down & fully enjoying a meal is a pleasure, and as we experience the aroma, taste, and texture of our food, our senses are also informing our body to prepare for digestion.

Another thing I noticed some time ago: the flavor and texture of sweet foods tends to be very vibrant initially, but dissipates quickly. Savory foods hold their flavor and texture longer, and as I continue to chew the flavors often builds further, and then slowly fade.

One thing I have learned from this practice is the idea of softening into foods I don't care for. Normally I just don't eat foods that I don't like, LOL. However, perhaps I've been using this skill of softening into with foods for years, and just didn't realize it, because I used to eat a lot of sweets, but years ago I realized I don't really enjoy them when eaten slowly & mindfully, and now the foods I tend to prefer are nutrient dense, earthy, savory, and sometimes bitter.

It will be interesting to try out softening into desire for more 😊🙏🏻

Hello Stephen,
How can mental activities have elemental qualities ?
Hint on how to observe them plz
Have a great day

Thank u Dear Stephen
Have a Merry Christmas & a Peaceful New Year

What a fun and revealing exploration!

Most interesting sense meditation so far. Imagining the food I don't like made my mouth water like I wanted to spit it out. This meditation will be very helpful at meal time and being more mindful of the food instead of wolfing it down like I often do. Thank you for this lesson. One more step in being mindful in every day life.