Eating Meditation Begin by selecting a piece of food.
A bit of fruit or vegetable is good,
Although almost anything works.
A raisin,
A cookie,
A potato chip,
Whatever.
Once you've got the food in your hand,
Don't eat it just yet,
But follow these instructions.
First,
Just as a bare material phenomenon,
Feel the food with your fingers,
Or just gaze at it with focused attention.
What does it feel like or look like?
If you like,
Allow yourself the pleasure of being entranced by this object.
Most food is quite beautiful in its detail,
And it's okay to enjoy it.
You might smell the food too,
And notice what effects doing so has on your body.
As thoughts arise,
Just catch and release.
Notice them,
Let them go,
And come back to the meditation.
Next,
Check in with the heart.
As you're about to eat this food,
What desires do you have?
Are you hungry,
Nauseated,
Thankful?
Or maybe do you think this practice is not for you?
Whatever the feeling tone of this experience is,
Just note it attentively,
Without judgment.
Stay with it for a couple of breaths,
And see if it shifts,
Or intensifies,
Or ebbs.
This non-reactive way of noticing and being with emotions is really at the heart of most meditation practices.
Now,
Moving from body to heart to mind,
Consider for a moment all of the people involved in bringing this food to you.
Farmers,
Truck drivers,
Factory workers,
Storekeepers.
There are hundreds,
If not thousands of people whose labor created the simple occasion of this food arriving in this moment.
Take a moment to consider them.
Imagine what they look like.
How hard they are working to support themselves and their families.
Maybe invent one of these people.
And consider how his or her labor is present right in your hand.
What his or her life is like.
Then,
Widen your consideration even further.
Consider all the conditions necessary to have created this food.
Maybe it's the traditional framework of the four elements of fire,
Sun,
Water,
Earth,
And air.
Or a more modern conception of the genetic information in the plants,
Or animals,
Or energy from the sun.
Allow the poetry of this simple piece of food to be felt in your body.
It's easy to be cynical or sarcastic.
It's harder and more rewarding to cultivate a moment of sincerity.
Then,
Finally,
Place the food in your mouth before chewing and swallowing.
Experience the tactile sensations of the food on your tongue.
The tastes.
The feeling of the mouth watering.
What happens to your whole body when you put the food in?
Calibrate your sensitivity as finely and exquisitely as possible.
See if the food tastes different in different parts of the mouth.
Really give yourself a juicy,
Rich experience of this bit of food.
You might keep your eyes closed,
Simply to focus your attention on what's going on in your mouth,
Rather than on other things.
Then,
Bite into the food and chew,
Trying to omit any automatic movements.
When chewing,
Know you are chewing.
You probably know the joke about walking and chewing gum at the same time.
This is the opposite.
Do only one thing at a time.
That way,
The mind slows down,
Focuses,
Experiences,
Live life deliberately,
One potato chip at a time.
Chew thoroughly,
Probably 20 or 30 times.
Don't bother counting.
It's not a quiz.
See if the flavor changes.
Some food really only comes alive after 10 or more chews.
Some disappears.
Then finally,
When you do swallow,
See how far down your esophagus you can still feel the food.
Just relax in the physical sensations of eating.
As your tongue cleans your mouth after this mindful bite of food,
Try to maintain the attentiveness that you've cultivated.
Don't let it be automatic.
We have a finite number of hours on this planet.
Why not be as awake as possible for each of them?
Thank you for joining me for this eating meditation.
Credit to J.
Michelson
