Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of the present moment. It can be framed as ‘living in the now’ ‘being present’ and in general, awareness. What this practice does is it fine tunes your senses, and allows you to really live each moment to the fullest. We simply can’t do this if we’re madly dashing about, freaking out about the future or pondering the past. Remember, our present moment is our past in the making and the seeds of our future. So what are we actually doing with this ‘present moment’?
Mindfulness takes skill. And it can be applied beautifully to the act of eating. How many times have you caught yourself standing at the fridge with the door open, halfway through eating something. Unaware that you were even doing it. Or smashing another cookie or raw cacao ball and only realising it when the crumbs fell from your mouth on finishing. Snuffling down a few bites in your car while driving and listening to music. Munching whilst also talking on the phone. Eating whilst on Instagram. Snacking whilst walking down the road, whilst also on Instagram…you get my drift. We do it all the time.
Our minds and our senses govern how our bodies metabolise and digest food. So if they’re not present when you are eating, then what can be possibly going on?
So how do you eat mindfully then?
Stop, take a breath, pause and think about what you’re going to eat.
Did it come from beneath soil, the sea or a tree?
How was it prepared?
What can you smell and see and feel, then what can you taste?
What is the texture in your mouth? What flavours emit as you chew slowly?
Eating mindfully means that you slow down the moment and enjoy your food, you chew properly and aid your digestion. It usually means that you get full more rapidly as you are thinking about the process rather than gulping it down. It means that you will savour each and every bite and nourish your body better. Who doesn’t want that I ask you?
Image by Jacqui Lewis