Welcome to Zen Eating.
This is a mindful eating meditation that is inspired by Japanese Zen Buddhism.
In this guide,
You will experience eating mindfully.
It is a time for connecting your body and mind by eating and understanding that the act of eating itself is a meditation.
By having each bite mindfully with a guide,
You will naturally have a calm mind and body which leads to a positive mindset.
I am going to guide you like please start chewing or please swallow the food.
So if this pace are comfortable for you,
Please follow my guide.
So let's begin with opening up your body by stretching.
Feel free to stretch with your own style.
Ask your body where you want to stretch now,
How you want to stretch now.
Now touch your throat.
Feel the path that the food is going to pass through.
Lightly place your hands on your stomach,
Your belly,
Whole abdomen.
Tell your body that you are going to start eating.
Take some deep breath.
Now put your palms together.
Say thanks to the food and thanks to the people who helped me to eat.
Bow if possible and come back.
Release your hands.
Let's begin.
For the first bite,
I'd like you to observe the food before you start eating.
Please observe the food with your eyes and nose.
Be playful like a child.
You can move closer or you can lift the bowl up towards you and smell it.
Open your five senses.
Imagine the taste by smelling it.
You may feel that your mouth is watering.
Smell the food and feel the salvation.
When your mouth starts watering,
That's the sign from your body that your body is ready for eating.
Let your body get ready,
Then start eating.
Now put the food into your mouth,
But for the first bite,
No chewing for a few moments.
Let the food sit on your tongue without chewing.
Enjoy the flavor of the food that is sitting on your tongue without moving.
You may feel a little different from what you're used to.
Enjoy the strangeness.
Now start moving your tongue slowly.
Which part of your tongue catches the sweetness of the food?
Which part of your tongue catches the bitterness or sourness of the food?
Notice all the subtle sensations on your tongue in your mouth.
Now slowly start chewing.
With palms on the knees and your body relaxed,
Observe the flavor,
Aroma,
Taste,
Texture,
And temperature.
You may be really happy that you're finally able to chew.
Enjoy chewing it.
Be playful.
Now observe your tongue,
Mouth,
Nose,
And throat.
Catch the sensation in your throat,
Then swallow the food mindfully,
Consciously.
Swallow the food and feel how the food is passing through your throat,
Gear-tracked down,
Down into the stomach.
Enjoy the aftertaste.
Now you may feel that the mouth is watering again.
Feel the salvation.
When your mouth starts watering,
There is a sign from your body that your body is ready for eating.
Let's move on to the next bite.
You can have drinks anytime in between when you'd like to drink.
Now start chewing.
Relax your face and body.
Keep chewing comfortably,
Mindfully.
Keep observing the flavor,
Taste,
And texture.
Be aware of how you are chewing now.
Pay attention to the speed of chewing,
The sound of chewing.
How are you breathing now?
Are you starting to want to swallow already?
If yes,
You are lucky that you got a chance to be aware of how many times you chew usually.
Don't worry,
Be playful.
Enjoy this moment.
You don't have to follow the guide so strictly.
You can do whatever you'd like to do now.
Now observe your throat and swallow the food slowly and consciously.
Again,
Feel the food passing through your throat,
Down,
Down,
Down into your stomach.
Where is the food now?
Enjoy the aftertaste.
You may feel that your mouth is watering again.
Catch the reaction of your body through your mouth.
When your mouth starts watering,
There is a sign from your body that your body is ready to move on to the next bite.
Let's move on to the next bite.
Put the food in your mouth and start chewing slowly.
Relax your body and face.
Keep chewing gently and consciously.
For this bite,
I am going to invite you on a journey of the ingredient.
Imagine where this ingredient was grown.
Can you imagine which kind of environment it was in?
Soil,
Water,
Wind.
You can make a story.
How many people helped you to eat this one bite?
Someone may take care of the plant.
How long did it take to arrive here as food?
Feel the connection.
And swallow the food comfortably.
Enjoy the aftertaste.
You are connected with the food that you are currently eating.
With the environment.
With the farmer.
So now,
When your body is ready,
Move on to the next bite.
From this bite,
Take your time as much as you'd like to.
You can keep eating mindfully,
Like how we did now,
With your own pace.
Enjoy your own Zen eating time in silence.
