Welcome to the Raisin Meditation.
Before you go any further,
You'll want to make sure you have a raisin on hand for this practice.
It's also an option to substitute a different unprocessed edible food item,
If that's more available for you.
So once you're ready,
Start by finding a seat with the object,
The raisin,
Sitting in front of you and settling in.
Getting in touch with yourself,
With your body.
Noticing the breath,
Moving in and out.
Noticing physical sensations inside and outside of the body.
Noticing thoughts and feelings,
Behaviors and urges.
Experiences passing through,
Continuously shifting,
Moment to moment.
Pausing here in God's presence for a moment to observe with openness and curiosity.
And now,
Picking up the object sitting before you and resting it in the palm of your hand.
For a moment,
Pretending that you've never seen one of these objects before.
Perhaps you've just dropped in from another planet and someone has handed you this object.
You're not sure what it's for or what to do with it.
You're intrigued.
So starting here with your sense of sight,
If that's available to you.
Taking a moment to examine the object with curiosity,
Noticing what you see here.
Paying attention to the shape,
Ridges and hollows,
Places of symmetry or asymmetry.
Noticing color and variations of color,
Places that are dull or reflective.
Ways that the light shines on the object.
Perhaps noticing if there is any mark that might indicate that the object was once attached to something.
Becoming acquainted with this object through this sense of sight.
And then holding the object between your forefinger and thumb in order to explore it with your sense of touch.
You can close your eyes if it's helpful for tuning into your sense of touch.
Becoming aware here of texture.
How does the item feel?
Is there roughness,
Smoothness,
Hardness,
Softness?
Does the texture or temperature of the object change at all?
Is it held in your hand?
If your eyes are closed,
You can open them now.
And acknowledging now that this object in front of you is a raisin,
Let's consider for a moment the journey that this particular raisin has been on to get into your hand.
We know it began as a tiny grape growing on a vine that sprung from a seed in the earth.
The sun shone on it.
The rain fell on it.
It was tended by a person or people who helped to ensure healthy conditions for this plant.
The grape grew to full size.
It was harvested by someone.
It was dried out until it shriveled into a raisin.
And perhaps some people packaged it up in a box or a bag and loaded it onto some type of transport,
Maybe a truck.
It was driven to a store,
Unloaded,
Put on a shelf.
Somebody picked it up and purchased it.
Maybe you,
Maybe someone else.
And brought it to wherever you are now.
So this raisin has had quite a journey with so many people involved on its way to your hand.
And so noticing any thoughts or feelings that you might be experiencing in this moment.
Perhaps judgmental thoughts about the raisin meditation,
Positive or negative judgments about whether you like it or not.
Maybe thoughts about the raisin itself.
Perhaps thoughts about the future,
About whether you will eat the raisin or maybe unrelated thoughts about what is ahead of you along with feelings pleasant or unpleasant.
Perhaps thoughts about the past,
Even thoughts about what we've just covered in this meditation.
So whatever these thoughts and feelings are,
Without judgment,
Noticing and being curious.
And moving the raisin now right up next to your ear,
Right by your ear canal.
Noticing any sound if hearing is accessible to you.
Exerting the smallest amount of pressure on the raisin as you gently roll it between your forefinger and thumb.
Seeing if it's possible to detect the faint crackling that a raisin can make when it's manipulated in just this way.
Paying attention to the sound of the raisin if that's available.
And then moving the raisin up to your nose.
Breathing in the aroma.
Noticing any thoughts or feelings associated with the smell.
Noticing also any reactions in the mouth or the stomach to the smell of the raisin.
Pausing here to be aware.
And then moving the raisin down to the lips.
Noticing how your arm and hand know exactly how to get it to the mouth.
And then gently placing the raisin on your tongue.
Without chewing it yet,
Exploring its bare sensations here in your mouth.
Perhaps feeling it with your tongue,
Rolling it around a bit.
What sensations are here for you?
Does the feeling of the raisin change or shift in any way as it rests in your mouth?
Are there any reactions in the mouth?
Any saliva?
Perhaps reactions in the stomach?
And noticing too if there are any urges,
Mild or strong,
To chew or swallow.
Setting now the intention to chew and then taking just one or two bites.
Pausing to be aware here of taste,
Texture,
Reaction in the mouth and stomach.
Perhaps noticing any waves of taste that might emanate.
Any shifts or changes in your experience with the raisin.
And seeing if it's possible not to swallow as you observe the experience in your mouth with curiosity,
Whether pleasant or unpleasant.
And then with intentionality,
Swallowing and being aware of the raisin moving down the esophagus into the stomach.
Continuing to chew slowly what is left,
Eating with awareness and openness to your experience.
Noticing here how your tongue knows exactly what to do in order to clean out your mouth and move the rest of the raisin down into the back of your mouth and toward your stomach.
Aware of taste,
Texture,
Thoughts and feelings in this moment as you swallow the remainder.
And pausing here to receive this raisin as nourishment,
As God's provision.
Perhaps receiving it with a small smile and noticing that the morsel,
This raisin has become a part of your body,
A part of you.
And so we close with this verse from Psalm 34 which says,
O taste and see that the Lord is good.
Happy are those who take refuge in him.
Go in peace.
