How can adopting a mindful approach to eating transform your experience?
Eating mindfully simply means focusing on the experience of the eating the food in as much detail as possible. So turn off your phone, the television, the radio, etc, and ask any people sharing the meal with you if they are prepared to do the same thing.
Make a gentle intention to be present for the duration of the meal. To try and prevent your mind wandering away from the experience right now, as best you can. And if your attention does wander (and it probably will), gently bring it back to the focus of the meal.
Allow the meal before you to grip as many of your senses as possible. Let your eyes absorb the colour and the shadow, the shape and the texture. On the subject of texture, if it is possible to handle the food with care in your hands then do so. Appreciate how the food actually feels, what sensation of touch is there, of hot and cold (please don't try this until the food is cool enough to handle!)
Smell the food. Take the time to see what you can discern in the aromas. Is there a single smell. Are there subtle hints of various moods? Embrace your inner gastro TV presenter and go (gently) crazy 🤣. Does the food smell warm or cool? Do you get any sensations in the nasal passages from peppers or spices?
And you haven't even put any of the food into your mouth yet. By now you are probably getting the idea.
By bringing so much attention and focus to your food you bring yourself into the present moment. You notice all the things that you had completely forgotten about, or never even noticed. The easting experience is transformed. The most familiar meal can be exploded back into life.
You may find that foods you thought were your favourites suddenly loose their sparkle, and that foods you were reluctant to select become a far more rewarding experience.
You will also be far less likely to get indigestion!
Finally, this is a way of bringing mindfulness practice into features of daily living. Most of us eat at least three times a day, and have drinks even more frequently. Yes, you can apply the same principles to what you are drinking. This creates a more experiential approach to mindfulness, applying it to the seemingly mundane elements of life. And that is what mindfulness is really about. It isn't about sitting in silent retreat for hours, or days on end. It has to work in the world you inhabit, chaos and distractions and all. If you can practice in at least one of your daily meals you will dramatically improve your skills of mindfulness in a much shorter timeframe.
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