Mindful Eating: Many Faces of Meditation

Posted by Elise Mitchell on July 14, 2014

Thich Nhat Hanh, the well-known Zen Buddhist monk, tells a story about the Buddha being asked what he and his students practice. His reply was, “We sit, we eat, and we sleep.” The inquistitor, perplexed, replied, “but we all do that.” The Buddha, in his perfect wisdom and grace asserted, “Yes but when we sit we know we are sitting. When we sleep, we know we are sleeping, and when we eat, we know we are eating.”

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”
—Amit Ray

At Second Nature, we encourage mindfulness practices as a way of slowing the mind, re-sensitizing the senses that have been ravaged by Facebook, video games, violence, drugs, and heavily processed food. Gaining heightened awareness of the world within and around us is inherently calming, centering, up-lifting, and can be accomplished in numerous ways.

This week at the Oasis we focused on mindful cooking and eating as a way of re-learning how we can gain greater joy and satisfaction from indulging the little things – the smell of roasting cumin seeds, the sound of mustangs playing in the spring nearby, the sound made when cutting cabbage or the conversation held amongst friends.

Here is one way to generate greater sensitivity to and appreciation for the abundance of life’s little gifts.

Practice

1. Choose a piece of fruit you enjoy.
2. Take a moment to simply notice the fruit. Notice color, shape, texture of this food. Pick it up and examine it closely. Put it close to your nose and inhale its aroma.
3. Now, close your eyes and slowly take your first bite. Let the flavor unleash itself in your mouth.
4. Chew very slowly, noticing the texture and how your teeth bite into it.
5. Continue eating in this manner.
6. When you are finished eating this piece of food, notice any aftertaste.
7. Sit quietly and express gratitude for such a lovely, sensuous experience.

Variation

**For every bite you take in the manner described above, focus on one thing for which you are grateful. Relish the sensation that gratitude invites in the body, mind, and spirit.

Elise Mitchell is the Health and Wellness Coordinator for Second Nature Entrada. To learn more about Second Nature for Adults contact one of our admissions counselors.