Mindful eating.
This is a guided meditation designed to support you in eating mindfully.
Taking care as you prepare your food and then as you're getting ready to eat,
Bringing all your food to the table,
Making sure you have plates and utensils.
Removing any containers or bags.
And when you're ready,
Taking a seat.
Beginning with three deep intentional breaths.
Deep breath in.
And letting go.
Breathing deeply.
Breathing completely.
One more deep breath.
Connecting with physical sensations of breath in the body.
And then checking in.
Are there sensations of physical hunger?
How hungry are you?
Using the hunger and fullness scale,
Where zero is not hungry at all and ten is uncomfortably full.
Can you get a sense of how hungry you are?
You might be hungry for something entirely different than food.
Listening now to the language of the body.
And then assessing your food.
What does it look like?
Does it look appealing?
Where does it come from?
Reflecting on the story,
The journey of this food making its way to you.
And then as you're ready,
Slowly taking your first mindful bite.
Tasting.
Savoring.
Chewing slowly and investigating the experience of eating.
Letting your attention be on the taste and the changing textures and the sounds of eating.
You might even close your eyes to really tune in.
Be aware of chewing,
Swallowing,
And then pausing between each bite,
Even putting your utensils down and taking a mindful breath.
And be sure to chew each bite thoroughly,
Taking the time to taste the food.
Maybe even assessing the taste satisfaction,
Knowing that no two bites are exactly the same.
Rating each bite on the 0 to 10 scale.
How satisfying is it?
How much flavor is there?
It might be different than what your mind is telling you.
When you notice the habit of rushing,
Pause.
Take a breath.
And from time to time,
Pause to investigate your hunger and your fullness.
You might discover that you're tired of eating the food you've chosen.
Or you might discover that you're no longer hungry,
Even though there's still food on the plate.
Give yourself permission to stop or continue based on what you discover.
Moment to moment awareness of your direct experience.
Savoring your food means taking time to choose food that you really like,
To choose food that honors your taste buds and your body.
Savoring,
Becoming fully present for the experience of eating and the pleasure it can bring.
Whenever you notice that your mind has wandered into the future or the past,
Bring it back to the experience of eating,
Tasting,
Savoring.
Taking time with your meal.
Pausing between bites.
Being interested and curious about the changing sensations and textures and tastes.
Pausing to assess taste satisfaction.
How satisfying is this bite?
You might notice physical changes in your stomach.
Know that you have a choice about how much to eat and when to stop eating.
Continue with this mindful meal,
Breathing,
Savoring,
Pausing and checking in,
Knowing that you have the skills to make the right choices for you today.
