Do you see, smell and feel your food before you taste it? Do you even taste it before you chew? Do you chew at all? Mindful eating can bring a whole new personal pleasure to your meals, and your life, but you must first slow the F%$& down!
This past weekend one of our meditations was with an apple. Funny, not sure I have ever really looked at my apple closely before biting in. Mine had a yellow star at the top, where the stem pierced the center. I am not sure I have ever really felt my apple either. Mine was hard, smooth, waxy and was the perfect size for my small hand. I for sure don’t smell my apple before I bite. Mine was fruity, fresh, and crisp smelling, making me excited to take a bite. I let my tongue touch my apple before I bit in, and surprisingly, both the feel of the apple skin on my tongue and the fresh apple smell in my nose had me pretty gung ho about this apple.
Maybe some of you are already reading this like a chapter of 50 Shades. I guess that is the point. Tells you where my mind is, I guess.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Where do I taste the sweet of the apple on my tongue?” Or, “Where do I feel the texture of the apple in my mouth?” When you sink into the moment of the dozen different possible sensations of eating an apple, you are HERE. The food becomes the object of your meditation and awareness. Hard for the dragon voice to infiltrate that because there is very little to judge. It is all just the sensations in the moment, there for the taking and feeling. What do you NOTICE when you eat a meal?
I have decided that it would be well worth my while to practice this mindful eating with chocolate. I will let you know how that goes.
Later, that same apple day, we were asked to eat our lunchtime meal, in silence, and with awareness. This was the longest meal of my life. In a good way.
I sat out on the deck, on the bench of the picnic table that let me spy the river rushing by. Me and my plate of food, in between two other women. In silence. No talking. I began, as instructed, to savor with smell, touch, sight and taste, the fresh, organic, gourmet lunch in front of me. The bitter, smoky smell of the greens, with their fresh, perfectly cooked crunch. The crisp, salty outer potato, followed by the smushier insides. The combination of fresh, creamy butter drizzled with crystal clear sweet honey from the bees just behind us in the field, over just made, warm, soft bread that felt so fresh on my teeth I needed a third slice.
Hungry?
I did all this while the women on either side did the same. In between bites, and slow, purposeful sips of fresh brewed, creamy coffee, I would sneak a sideways glance to see if they were watching me. Why would they be? If they were caught up in their own flavor orgasm like I was, wasn’t nothing going to take them away from it. As the mind slides into the smells, and feels, and colors and tastes, it is calm, still, focused, and happy.
I smiled to myself a few times over the hour, next to my silent friends. Yeah, it took an hour to eat the lunch. There were a few more times I wanted to giggle, as we connected with each other, to our food, and our to our souls. I glanced over for a moment to the beautiful turquoise blue journal page of curly cursive that my table mate was creating, and oops, there went my mind into the stories of what she was doing, who it was for, what secrets her message told, and why my handwriting didn’t look like that. Back to my bread and honey, quick.
At the end of my meal I looked up into the bright blue sky painted with story book clouds, through the just green summer sprouts of leaves on the tree tops, and a red tailed hawk soared by. Another sign. I see them all lately. And I wrapped up the longest meal of my life with a moment of knowing, of magic, of connection and of stillness.
Slow down. Be still. Feel, smell, touch, look, taste…and behold, your own flavor orgasm! You might never go back to the old way
COMMENTS
I’m smiling. I’m starving. I feel bad that I just blew through lunch without noticing. I’ll pay more attention at the next meal!! Wonderful post.
Pretty much nailed it. Laura. Only I was in the dining room, looking out at you and the others on the deck. I wondered which bird you were seeing when you all looked up at once.
Thanks for capturing this experience.
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