For various reasons many people eat on the run or try to multitask during a meal with activities such as reading, working, texting, thinking, or talking…etc.  The simple joy of tasting the food often gets lost in external or internal  preoccupation.  This lack of awareness may lead to overeating, indigestion, and lack of appreciation for the experience of nourishing your body.  To bring yourself back to the awareness of eating, I want to share the following exercise which has been taught in many mindfulness workshops and practices.

How do we eat mindfully?  It is best to start with a small item of food that you like to eat such as a raisin, a piece of nut, a small fruit…etc.  Begin by holding the food in your hand and feeling the texture around it.  Notice the color, light reflections, shadows, size, and shape of the food.  Explore it as if this is the first time you have ever held this food.  See if you can discover something new about it.

Next, bring the food to your nose and smell it.  Breathe in the fragrance of the food and notice how you feel.  Do you feel comforted, excited, relaxed? What thoughts do you have?  Slowly put the food in your mouth and without chewing, notice the sensations as it lands on your tongue.  Can you feel your mouth salivating? What comes to mind?  As you begin to chew it slowly, notice the burst of flavors and how your body is responding to them.  What other thoughts do you experience?

When you are ready, you can swallow and see if you can feel the food going down your throat.  How did that feel?  Take some time to reflect upon the whole process and write down any new or old sensations, thoughts, feelings, and ideas. This practice will help remind you of the feelings you experienced.  You can also do this with your first bite of food at each meal as a regular practice to remind yourself to slow down, be present and enjoy the process.

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