Mindful Eating

Choose a small piece of food e.g. a raisin, marshmallow.  Imagine you are a baby, or an alien who has picked up something new and is exploring it.

Hold the food in the palm of your hand, noticing the shape, the colour, the surface.

Move the food between your fingers and your thumb. Notice the texture, closing your eyes helps tune into the sense of touch.

Feel the shape and its weight. Gently squeeze the food, how does it feel? Take a few moments.

What does the food feel like? Try to describe it as best as you can.

Hold the food to your ear. Turn it gently between your thumb and finger, listening to it. After, bring your arm back down with a mindful awareness.

Did you hear any sound? If not, what was it like to not be able to hear anything?

• Bring the food to your nose, as you do feel the sensations in your arm with the movement.  Notice at what point you’re able to pick up some scent. What does it smell like?

Are there any memories with this food?

• Bring your food towards your mouth. Are you salivating? If so, your body has already begun the first stage of digestion. Touching the food gently to your lips, what sensations can you notice? Place the food on your tongue and feel its weight.  Observe how amazing it is to taste and eat.

• Describe in as much detail as you can what your experience was like; the taste, scent and texture as you chewed it. The way it broke down in your mouth, how the taste spread. At what point did you swallow it? Did your attention drift to other thoughts?

How do you feel about the experience? How does it compare to your usual experience of eating?