Eating Mindfully Thich Nhat Hanh,
The Vietnamese monk,
Said,
Let us establish ourselves in the present moment,
Eating in such a way that solidity,
Joy and peace be possible during the time of eating.
Eating is an opportunity to nourish your body while nourishing your mindfulness practice.
You can do this practice in any position,
But it is helpful to stay still while eating.
This minimizes unnecessary stimulus and helps you focus on the experience.
You can do this with any food.
I recommend starting with something simple like raisins,
Berries or a few of your favorite vegetables.
Take time now to gather your food item and then return to this meditation.
Begin by taking in the food visually.
Notice the colors,
Shapes and sizes.
As you look at the food,
Notice the urge to start eating.
There is nothing wrong with hunger,
But allow the cravings to come and go.
Return to the sight of the food.
Next,
Investigate the smell of food.
Some foods may have stronger aromas than others,
And you may have to hold the food up to your nose.
Be present for the experience of smelling.
When the mind begins craving,
Just return to the smell in front of you.
Before eating,
Take a brief moment to appreciate the energy that went into its production.
People worked to grow this food and bring it to you.
Water provided nutrients,
Rainwater and sunshine.
Maybe somebody cooked,
Cleaned or packaged it for you.
Bring into your mind all of the energy from various sources that came together to create this meal.
Now slowly pick up the food.
If you are using any utensils,
Tune into the experience of touch as you feel the utensil.
Mindfully feel how the food or utensils feels in your hand.
Is the food stiff,
Soft,
Cold or warm?
As you put your food in your mouth,
Notice the desire to chew and swallow quickly,
Instead start by feeling the temperature of the food.
Holding the food in your mouth,
Can you feel the shape?
As you begin chewing,
Notice the texture of the food.
Does it change as you continue to chew?
Notice the flavors.
You may have a hard time doing more than simply labeling what you are eating,
Such as,
It's a raspberry.
Try to dig a little deeper.
Are there multiple flavors present?
Pay attention to the changing of flavors as you continue to chew.
When you swallow your bite,
Tune into the experience of swallowing.
What does it feel like as the food moves down the throat?
You may also notice the desire to quickly have another bite.
Pause and notice if any flavor remains in the mouth for a moment.
You can continue eating like this,
Reminding yourself to slow down and be present.
Continue to check in with the sights,
Smells,
Tastes,
Feelings,
And thoughts that arise.
Notice if you are growing impatient.
Mindful eating is an exercise in patience and requires some self-control.
As you try to eat slowly,
You may come up against a strong desire to begin eating more quickly.
Normally,
Most of us start preparing our next bite of food while still chewing the previous bite.
The foundation of mindful eating is to eat slowly.
If craving takes over,
Just pause,
Breathe,
And slow it down.
When you finish eating,
And I know you might not be yet,
Just remember.
Allow yourself to feel gratitude for the food that is nourishing your body.
Let the mind relax into a state of appreciation for the energy and life.
Slow down.
A a a a a a a a a a a a a ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
