In today's fast-paced society it's not uncommon to eat throughout the day without bringing much attention or awareness to the food that we're consuming.
We've got fast food joints on every corner,
We eat on the run,
We eat while in front of the TV or texting our friend and we really notice what exactly we're putting into our bodies.
Particularly with trauma,
When our mind is preoccupied with replaying the past or fears of the future,
Mindful eating is even more difficult.
Sometimes we don't eat at all and forget because we're so preoccupied and sometimes we binge or overeat because we're not paying attention to the moment-to-moment experience of eating.
The intent of this next session is to help you slow down to take time to savor the taste of each bite and enjoy the nourishment that food can bring us.
Before you begin it's important that you choose a food item that you feel is going to nourish your body and this food item should be small enough that you can hold in the palm of your hand.
When you're ready,
Find yourself in a comfortable seated position holding the food item in the palm of your hand.
See if you might bring the hand with the food item up to your gaze so that you can look closely and when I say closely,
Real close at what you're about to eat and imagine that this is the first time you have ever seen something like it.
So get really curious.
Bring your attention to its shape,
Its color,
Its texture and all the unique qualities of this food.
Explore every aspect.
Notice the weight of the food in your hand.
Notice how the food feels as it rests in your palm.
Now slowly bring the food close to your nose and take a long slow deep breath in.
Can you notice the scent of the food or observe any thoughts or sensations that may arise out of this new experience?
Now bring the food close to your mouth,
Noticing the anticipation or thoughts you may feel before eating.
Gently take a bite or place the food directly on your tongue without chewing.
Allow the food to sit in your mouth and notice how it feels and how your body reacts as the food rests in your mouth without chewing.
Slowly and mindfully take your first bite and pay attention to any of the sensations while chewing,
Knowing that there's no right or wrong.
And if you get distracted in evaluating the taste of the food,
Just see if you can let go of these thoughts and redirect your attention back to the experience of taste.
Really savor the taste and pay attention to how your experience keeps changing moment to moment.
With your next bite,
Remember that the food you're eating involves many different elements that went into making and getting it into your hands.
Become aware of the miracle of the earth,
The water,
The rain,
The Sun,
The seeds that had to be nourished to grow this food.
Think about the farmer or the manufacturer,
The distributor.
Think about how the food got to the place where you purchased the food.
Continue to chew your food slowly and pay attention to how the food goes down your throat.
Can you pay attention and trace its path from the mouth all the way down the esophagus and right into the belly?
When you finish your last bite,
See if you might notice how long the flavor lingers in your mouth.
And as the flavor vanishes,
Notice how you feel.
Now direct your attention to the flow of your breath,
Letting the breath come and go on its own natural rhythm.
When you're ready,
Slowly bring your attention back to your surroundings and let how you feel now guide you.
