How to practice mindful eating.
There are many ways to practice mindful eating but the first bit of advice is just to eat slower.
Just eat your food thoroughly.
Don't rush your meals.
Just chew,
Chew well,
Chew thoroughly.
Eliminate distractions by turning off the TV,
The phone and whatever other digital things are going on.
Even conversation,
Just to push pause on that a little bit.
Eat in silence.
Focus on how the food makes you feel.
Ask yourself why I'm eating.
Is it because I'm really really hungry and is the food that I've chosen healthy?
To begin with it's a good idea to pick one meal per day.
It could be lunch or dinner or breakfast and then really focus on that as your mindful eating practice and then once it becomes the default experience you can then apply that to the rest of your meals and even little snacks and coffees and teas throughout the day.
So here's the practice.
You can find something in your kitchen now if you like.
A strawberry,
A raisin,
A piece of fruit or maybe you're sitting with me and you're having a meal which is great.
Thank you.
If you'd like to push pause we can come back to it.
Good.
Okay,
Back to it.
So we turn off any other distractions,
Phone,
TV,
Whatever's going on and we bring ourselves into the moment.
We take a deep breath.
Just breathe naturally.
That's good.
Detach from what happened today or what's going to happen later.
Bring yourself into the present.
So we can cast our eyes on what is in front of us.
What does it look like?
This food,
All the colors and the shapes,
The textures,
The way the light catches it,
The shadows.
Observe how your body is feeling as you gaze at this food.
Maybe your stomach is grumbling.
Maybe you have a desire just to gobble it all up.
Notice that if your stomach,
Is it feeling empty?
Is it feeling full?
And notice any judgments that arise towards yourself when you think of your diet.
Let go of the shoulds or the could-haves.
You are enough in this moment.
You are enough and you are eating right now in this beautiful restaurant.
Take a bite and remember to chew slowly.
Observe the taste explosion.
Is it spicy?
Is it salty?
Is it sweet?
And really savor this experience of just being with eating.
This is what true gratitude for your food feels like.
Take another forkful.
You don't have to look weird.
We can still slow it down and enjoy.
Be completely present with the experience.
Slowly chewing.
It's a symphony of flavor.
And when we are present,
It tastes better.
It's more enjoyable.
Delicious.
Gaze lovingly at your food.
The next mouthful.
Waiting in anticipation.
How lovely.
In this way,
Even a meal can become a meditation.
Not only is this delicious salad healthy for my body,
But if I bring my awareness into this process,
I bring myself into the present moment,
Which is healthy for my mind.
I'm also encouraging my mind to enjoy one thing at a time,
Instead of multitasking,
Which is also damaging my focus and my mental health.
Let's take another bite.
A special shout out to the staff at 58 Farmhouse.
In the cradle of humankind,
That's where I am,
Eating the most delicious meal.
Thank you for dining with me.
I hope you're enjoying your meal too.
Catch you later.
Be mindful.
