A Mindful Eating Ritual
Hello dear friends!
When it comes to food, many of us have a whole host of complicated feelings. In our culture, food has a lot of baggage, weighed down by moralistic judgements and addictive dynamics. We’ve all been separated into camps based upon our food choices, pitting us against each other in a battle over body image, weight, health, environmentalism, and other serious subjects. It’s no wonder that so many people rush through their meals, trying not to think too much about what they’re eating or where it came from.
We have a very sad disconnect from our food, and our mealtimes, and this only contributes to our feelings of emptiness. There will probably always will be strong opinions about food in our society, but we can choose to what extent we will allow other people’s food politics to affect our personal choices.
Getting stuck in the moralistic mindset around eating not only deprives us from the joy and pleasure that is inherent to food, but it also takes us out of the present moment. And when we eat in a dissociated state, we lose touch with our signals of satiety, we often overeat or undereat, we reduce our ability to digest properly, and we may contribute to inflammation and stress in the body.
Learning to eat mindfully is a practice, and one that isn’t encouraged much these days. We leave little room in our lives for preparing and savoring food. We eat on the run. We eat in the car. We eat while distracted by our phones or computers. We eat at our office desk. Collectively, we do anything and everything to avoid being fully present, connected with our food. But we can change that!
Eating mindfully used to be the norm, before the industrial age, before convenience and packaged foods, and before work became a priority. Much of our ancestor’s time was devoted to food- gathering it, preparing it, cooking it, serving it, and savoring it. There were no distractions. Their digestion was strong and steady. They didn’t have body image problems, or extreme diets, or fitness trends. They understood the beautiful, valuable life force that was available to them, through their food, and they consumed it with gratitude. While we may never be able to recreate an ancestral meal exactly, we can practice rituals of mindful eating. And this may start a ripple effect, allowing us to see our food with new eyes.
Mindful eating has many roots in the Buddhist tradition, and these types of rituals will help you develop your meditative skills and sensory abilities.
This ritual will also help you release some negative beliefs or patterns around food.
Materials for this ritual:
One simple piece of food that you really love- a piece of fruit, or chocolate, or a cookie, perhaps
A quiet place to sit and savor
Instructions for this ritual:
1. Find a place for this ritual, where you can sit down comfortably and won’t be disturbed. Turn off ALL distractions. Set your food on a clean plate/bowl in front of you (bonus points for breaking out your most beautiful dishes for this practice)
2. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Optional: do the “closing the circuit” breath exercise.
3. Give thanks for the food in front of you. Think about where it came from, and all the things that had to happen to get it to your plate today. Think about the sun, rain, soil, and all other resources it required to grow that food, and all the people who were part of the chain, bringing this food to you. You may express your gratitude silently, or aloud.
4. With your eyes still closed, pick up the piece of food. Turn it over in your hands. Notice the texture and sensation. Make observations about the shape, feel, and size.
5. Open your eyes and take in the sight of your food. Really get in close here. Notice the tiny details on every inch of your food. Appreciate the structure, pattern, color, and beauty.
6. Next, bring it up to your nose. Inhale the scent of this food. Notice the subtle smells, as you move it back and forth under your nose.
7. Next, you may cut, break, or otherwise prep your piece of food. Pay special attention to the sounds. Notice what it sounds like as it is being opened, sliced, or pulled apart.
8. Now, slowly bring the food up to your lips. Notice if you are feeling especially hungry, or you are salivating at the idea of eating it. Notice if you want to rush here, and just pop it into your mouth. Go as slowly as possible. Let it touch your lips, feeling the sensations here. Then gently take one small bite. Hold it in your mouth, moving it around with your tongue. Gently chew, noticing the flavors and sounds as you do so. After a moment or two of this, swallow your bite. See if you can feel it travel down your esophagus and into your stomach. Rest for a moment, and repeat until the food is gone, or you feel finished.
9. Clean up after your mindful eating ritual, and wash your hands with intention.
I first practiced mindful eating about 10 years ago, but have recently gotten back into thanks to my intuitive eating training and the #sensualeating challenge of Rosie Rees and others on Instagram. I would love to hear your experience with this ritual, so drop me a comment below!
What’s your absolute favorite food to savor slowly?
Until next time, lots of love, and as always…
~ Hoping you feel as well as possible ~
