During this mindfulness training we will investigate the fourth sense door of tasting.
To do this you'll need a piece of fruit,
Either a banana or an apple,
Or something easy to eat.
Pause the recording at this place and we'll start when you get back.
Now start out by taking your meditation posture and closing your eyes ever lightly.
Start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.
Becoming aware of any sounds around you and allowing the change within the sound to hold your attention.
Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.
Now slowly bring your awareness into your body.
Becoming aware of any warmth or coolness within your body,
Holding them gently in mind.
Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.
Pause the recording at this place and close your eyes ever lightly.
Also becoming aware of the touch of your hands.
And the pressure of your body as it rests on the chair or on the floor.
And the pressure of your body as it rests on the floor.
The awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.
And the awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.
And the awareness of your whole body and just sitting here.
Coming back into your body.
Now we're going to start to observe the sense store of taste and notice its interaction with the mind.
First we're going to play with bringing images of food to the mind and observe what happens.
I'd like you to bring to mind your favorite piece of cake.
Its perfect texture.
Maybe cream,
Maybe jam.
Its sweetness.
Imagine that cake within your mouth.
Maybe you can taste this imaginary cake.
Maybe you can smell it or see it.
Now imagine you had some ice cream to eat with this cake.
It may be vanilla.
It may be chocolate.
Maybe the ice cream is caramel.
Over that ice cream you add some custard.
Nice and warm,
Melt in the ice cream.
Soaking into the cake.
Notice how the flavor within your mouth changes.
Just gently observing the experience.
Now bring to mind a banana.
Notice how you can taste the banana within your mouth.
Maybe you like the banana,
Maybe you don't.
Notice how you can almost feel its texture,
Its smell.
Now imagine you're washing the meal down with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate.
Very good quality.
Nice and rich and smooth.
And you're gently sipping that hot chocolate.
Notice how the taste and texture appear.
Notice how some parts of taste are mental,
Not physical.
This way play around by bringing up a food of your choice.
Now bring to mind something you really like.
Notice that when you bring to mind a food that you really like,
There's a pull towards it.
A craving for it,
A desire to have that food.
What is the desire to have that food feel like?
Where do you experience that desire?
Is it in your body or is it in your mind?
Does it have an elemental quality to it?
Is it heavy or light?
Is it hard or soft?
Maybe it's warm or cool.
Does it have a quality of wetness or dryness?
See if you can experience the elemental quality of the desire to have that food.
I ask you to take some slow softening breaths and soften relax into that desire.
Soften into that feeling.
Now we're going to swap foods.
I'd like you to bring to mind an image of a food that you don't like.
Some type of food that you don't enjoy eating.
Bringing it to mind.
Notice the taste arise within your mouth.
Notice its flavour,
Its texture.
Can you notice any aversion towards this food?
What elemental qualities are present in not wanting to eat the food,
Not wanting to taste it?
Now I'd like you to take some slow softening breaths and soften relax into that desire.
Soften relax into that feeling.
Now bringing awareness back into your body.
Becoming very present.
Just sitting here now.
And when you're ready you can gently open your eyes.
Just becoming aware of seeing.
Aware of being here in the room.
Now allow your eyes to go to the piece of fruit that you selected earlier.
Notice how your eyes draw to that fruit.
Can you almost taste that piece of fruit in your mouth?
Has your saliva started to run to change?
Notice the desire to reach for the fruit and mindfully follow that desire.
Feel its touch on your hand as you pick it up.
At present I'm peeling a banana.
When ready bring the piece of fruit to your face.
Don't put it in your mouth,
Just smell it.
Do you like the smell?
How do you know that you like it?
Does this feeling of liking appear in your body?
Can you notice the effect that the smell has on the taste within your mouth?
Now bring the piece of fruit mindfully to your mouth.
Putting it into your mouth,
Biting and slowly chewing.
When you're chewing the fruit what elemental qualities can you feel?
Can you experience the earth element in this food?
Maybe softness,
Maybe hardness.
Can you experience the fire element in this food?
Maybe warmth,
Maybe coolness.
What is this texture like?
Can you experience the water element in this food?
Is it wet or dry?
Notice how you can focus on the texture of this food.
As you gently chew the flavour starts to disappear.
What is the food in your mouth like without flavour?
As the flavour fades,
Notice your desire to keep chewing the food also fades.
Notice the desire to experience more flavour arise.
The desire to swallow the food,
Now swallow it.
And feel the food going down the back of your throat,
Moving down into your belly.
Now following the same process,
Lifting a new piece of the fruit to your mouth.
I'm going to create a period of silence now for you to eat and observe.
Notice how present you become when being aware of the sense of taste.
Imagine this ninety decades of looks of an awesome.
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When you swallow the food,
Notice the feeling of it going down your throat towards your stomach.
Notice any desire to have another piece of food.
Also notice the desire to not have another piece of food.
Where and how you experience this desire.
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Now bringing your awareness back into your body,
You can place a piece of fruit down by your side.
In closing your eyes ever lightly,
Start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
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Just sitting here now.
And when you are ready you can gently open your eyes.
Just becoming aware of seeing,
Aware of being here in the room.
And thank you for spending this time meditating with me.
Take care of yourself and have a wonderful day.
And goodbye.
