Mindful Eating

We can bring mindfulness to everything we do. The practice is not just about sitting with our feet on the ground and backs straight. I have a formal practice each day but I sometimes want to bring a heightened awareness to everyday activities. Bringing mindfulness to eating is extremely enjoyable and can transform a snack or a meal. Do give it a try following the instructions below!

Many people today have a complicated relationship with food. We are largely disconnected from the production of food, often even from choosing it ourselves; we may see it as comfort, or use it as a form of self-denial. Eating disorders are serious issues affecting both mental and physical health. Anyone suffering in this way needs to be under the care of their GP and other medical professionals.

At this moment in history we have access to more variety of food than ever before. But with so many of us eating in front of the telly or with our tablets or phones beside us, how often are we truly able to taste what we are eating or to appreciate the origin of our food and what it is doing for our bodies?

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough" Oprah Winfrey

Mindful Eating - snack

Choose a time when you can eat without being interrupted and a place you feel relaxed. If you want to include other people that can be rewarding and fun. Get your friends or family ready by leaving all your gadgets, phones etc in another room. If you like background sound find some music but remember the main focus is on the food.
Take the snack you have chosen to eat mindfully and hold it in your hand if possible or look at it closely on the plate.
Becoming aware of your breath as your body relaxes and the food comes into sharp focus. What you can see? What textures and shapes and colours are there? What can you smell? Look at the food as if you have never seen it before!
Turn your attention inwards and see if your body is responding in any way to the food. Maybe your mouth is watering or your stomach rumbling.
Take a small amount of the food into your mouth. Allow it to sit on the tongue for a few moments. Close your eyes and really experience the flavour and texture of the food.
Begin to slowly chew the food and move it around in the mouth, all the time noticing how the feel of it and the flavours change.
Before swallowing think briefly about what nutrients the food contains. It may be a yummy bit of chocolate in which case there is some sugar to bring energy.
As you swallow welcome the food into the body and imagine how it will nurture and nourish you.
You might like to reflect on what it took to get the food to you. Was it planted and watered? Was it harvested and packed? Did someone prepare it for you? Allow yourself to feel gratitude and wonder at the good fortune of having enough to eat.
Repeat this regularly, even if just for a single mouthful of food out of a meal. It can have a profound effect on how you feel about what you cook and eat and your overall health and wellbeing.

Mindful Eating - meal

If this is a family or shared activity, talk about it together before the food arrives. Perhaps discuss what it has taken to get this meal to the table. Someone has planned it, shopped for it, transported it home, prepared and presented it. Cooking can be love in action! Allow time to appreciate the cook.
When the food is served, everyone can take a minute to connect with their bodies and their breathing. Someone can lead the group in this or just remind everyone to let go of whatever they were doing or thinking about before they came to the table.
Turn the attention to the plates of food. Really looking closely at the shapes and textures. You can talk amongst yourselves about what you see and sense. Everyone will have a different insight. Notice the smell.
It can be fun to compare reactions to this close examination, especially as stomachs may be rumbling in unison!
Everyone can now take a small amount of the food into the mouth. Allow it to sit on the tongue for a few moments. Close your eyes and really experience the flavour and texture of the food. Share what you notice.
Begin to slowly chew the food and move it around in the mouth, all the time noticing how the feel of it and the flavours change.
Before swallowing think briefly about what nutrients the food contains. As you swallow welcome the food into the body and imagine how it will nurture and nourish you.
With each consecutive mouthful you can all continue to notice and appreciate the food, even if you need to eat a little faster. As you fill up, do you want to stop eating sooner than usual?
How does eating mindfully differ from the usual eating experience? Include the practice regularly and allow it to increase your enjoyment and appreciation of mealtimes.