Eating is a very important part of the prenatal care process.
This mindful eating meditation would help you cultivate appreciation of the food that truly nourishes you by noticing the food's flavors and textures and enable you to experience a deeper level of enjoyment while eating.
Please put the food you wish to have and the necessary utensils right in front of you.
Sit comfortably in your position.
Let's start with a few full breaths together.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
Inhale deeply again.
Exhale slowly.
Now begin by feeling your feet on the ground and feel the connection between your breath and your body.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
How do you feel right now?
Do you feel hungry,
Thirsty,
Or content at this moment?
Please pay attention to the sensations in your body for a few moments.
Next,
Gently bring awareness to the food in front of you.
As if this is the first time you have seen this food.
Please observe the food with curiosity.
As you pay close attention to the type,
Shape,
Color,
Texture,
And size of the food.
If you would like,
Feel free to close your eyes for a moment and visualize how the ingredients have been grown,
Harvested,
Handled,
And prepped so that you are able to have this food today.
Feel free to repeat after this phrase.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to enjoy this food with mindfulness.
Now,
With full awareness of your hand movement,
Gently start to feed the food into your mouth and allow the food to be there in your mouth without chewing or swallowing it.
For a few moments.
Try to feel the texture of this food.
Is it rough,
Smooth,
Soft,
Hard,
Or something else?
Continue to breathe naturally and stay fully present.
Please begin to slowly chew the food in your mouth.
Notice the temperature and flavor of the food.
Is the food hot or cold?
Is the flavor salty,
Spicy,
Bitter,
Sweet,
Sour,
Or plain?
Is the food dry or liquid?
After,
You feel that the food has been broken down into small and digestible pieces.
And there is no need to chew further.
Gently swallow the food first.
And then take another bite.
This time,
Please notice the movement of your chewing and how the different parts of your mouth are involved in this process.
After chewing it for some time,
Gently swallow the food again.
Notice how the food goes from your throat down into the stomach.
Please take another bite and chew the food slowly with mindfulness.
And swallow it afterwards.
Feel free to take as much time as you need to finish the rest of the food.
If you notice that your mind has wandered away and start to have some thoughts that are not related to this tiny experience,
Simply acknowledge the presence of those thoughts.
And then,
Bringing your attention back,
Focus on savoring the food by staying present.
When you're done eating,
Notice if there is any lingering sensations and taste in your mouth.
Take a deep breath.
Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
That was fun.
Next time,
Feel free to have another food item and observe if there are any changes in your experience.
