Mindful Mouthful

Mindful Mouthful

Before you start just notice the quality of your mind and any thoughts you might be having. Make a quick note and then take a raisin, piece of chocolate, nut (or anything similar) and mindfully eat it. 

Slow down and use all your senses to eat.  

1-   Start by taking a good look and notice what you might not have noticed before. Colours, textures, its perfections and its flaws. Without judging describe this to yourself.

2-   Notice the touch of how it feels?  What else do you notice temperature, surface (chocolate tends to melt). Without judging describe this to yourself.

3-   Before you put it in your mouth, smell it and again describe the smell to yourself. Try to find new ways to describe it to yourself. Surprize yourself. Imagine you are an expert describing this morsel of food to someone who has never experienced this tiny mouthful.

4-   Then pop it in the mouth but don’t eat it. Just notice how it feels, what flavours immediately hit the pallet.  Without judging describe this to yourself.  Now gently bite into it and again notice what happens. Does it dissolve, break, crunch, squish? Keeps noticing and describing what you notice to yourself. 

5-   Finally swallow and notice the sensation as it slides down your throat. Take the final moment to reflect over the experience and without judgement notice how this was for you. 

Finally notice the quality of your mind and any thoughts you might be having now. Just note for yourself whether this is different than before. If so how?  Remember there is no right or wrong in this exercise. You notice what you notice…

Sense it, savor it and slow down.