Ice Cream Meditation

When was the last time you meditated on your ice cream or favorite treat? This mindful eating practice is an opportunity for you to slow down, engage all your senses, and be fully present while you indulge in something enjoyable for a few minutes. At the end of the practice, there is an invitation to write or draw what a life of pleasure looks like for you, and how you might cultivate more joy in your life on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. I hope this little ice cream journey brings you and your loved ones great rewards in all areas of your life.

Transcript

Welcome, Dear one. This is Zawadi Nyong'o and I'm delighted to invite you to go on this delectable ice cream meditation journey with me. Did you know that eating your favorite flavor of ice cream can stimulate feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine and help to reduce stress? Sharing a bowl of ice cream with friends or family can also foster social connection, Help create cherished memories, And strengthen relationships, Contributing to overall mental well-being. Do check with your healthcare professional though to make sure ice cream fits well into your diet. Today we will be using all of our senses to mindfully eat our ice cream. So, The first thing you want to do is grab your ice cream or any other treat of your choice. If you need to pause to do this, Go ahead. Now find a comfortable place to sit. Notice your surroundings. Look around the room or space you are in. What do you see? Notice five things you see. Notice the colors and the textures. What do you hear? Maybe beginning with the farthest noises that you hear and then coming closer and closer. Notice the sensation of the seat you are on, The earth beneath you. If you're sitting in a chair, Plant your feet on the earth. I'm barefoot right now. Notice your posture. Do you need to make any adjustment to get comfortable? Notice the sensations on your skin. Take a deep breath. The belly expands as you breathe in. Exhale with a sigh, Emptying out completely as you breathe out. Ah. Drop your shoulders and relax your jaw. Do that two more times. Letting your stress melt away with every exhalation. Hmmmm. Beautiful. Now, Reach for your ice cream and look at it. Look at the container. What do you see? Notice the colors. The words on it. The pictures. I see, La-da-da-da, It's the bomb, Snoop Dogg. I'm eating Dr. Bombay, Created by Snoop Dogg. Tropical sherbet swizzle. Orange sherbet with tropical pineapple swirls. I'm ready for my ice cream. Are you? And then open it. First thing I want you to do is to look at it. What do you see? And then smell it. Mmm, Breathe in those flavors. Aromatherapy. Start to notice what's going on in your mouth as you inhale and breathe in the flavors of the ice cream. I'm salivating. And then. . . When you're ready, If you're transferring your ice cream into another container, Do that mindfully. Mine has already started to melt because I'm sitting outside. So if you need to pause to put it back in the freezer, You can do that. And then, When you're ready, Take your first scoop. Again, Observing everything that is happening, Bring it closer to your mouth, Maybe closing your eyes or lowering your gaze if that's comfortable for you, And put it in your mouth. Slowly, Notice everything there is to notice. The sensations on your tongue, On the roof of your mouth, And your lips. The sensation as it goes down your throat. Allow yourself to make sounds if you feel called to. Experience every bit of pleasure that you can. Continue to eat your ice cream in silence for the next one minute. What do you hear? Are there chunks in your ice cream that you need to chew? Listen to yourself. Listen to yourself swallow. Now for the next one minute, I invite you to visualize living a life of pleasure. Where can you invite more pleasure into your life? See it in your mind's eye. Staying in this vibration of pleasure, Maybe think about the things that brought you pleasure as a child. What did you enjoy doing? How did you enjoy being? This is an opportunity to ritualize joy in your life. You can keep going until you are done with your ice cream. When you are done, I would like to invite you to do some soul scribing or soul writing. Reaching for your journal or a piece of paper and a pen, Write down or draw what a life of pleasure looks like for you. What practices will you do to cultivate joy and pleasure in your life on a daily, Weekly, And monthly basis? Just let the words or images flow from your heart onto the paper. I'll give you one minute. Do you have any other insights? When you're ready, I invite you to place your hands on your heart space, One hand over the other. And breathe into your heart. Exhale. And then think of three things that you are grateful for in this moment. Whisper a prayer of gratitude, Including thanking yourself for doing this practice today. Thank you, Dear soul, For joining me on this ice cream meditation journey. May you continue to experience pleasure in every area of your life. Many, Many blessings. And remember, Zetna fi betna, The oil is within us.