Reference no: EM133661886
Mindful Eating
(Links are provided for the articles to assist with responding to the questions Below)
The following exercise was adapted from Christine Webber's article "How a raisin can help you with mindfulness"and "How to Eat" by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Links to the articles from above:
1). Take a raisin and hold it in one hand, then concentrate on it as if you've never seen one before. Look at it searchingly. Notice how many grooves there are in it. How many little raised bobbles. Whether the color is the same throughout. Whether it's symmetrical or misshapen. Use your eyes to really examine it intently.
2). After a minute or so, alter your focus to the feel of it. You might want to close your eyes. Does it feel smooth? Soft? Sticky? Rough where the grooves are? Roll it between your middle finger and your thumb. Concentrate on what you are feeling as you touch and hold it.
3). Now lift the raisin to your nose. Is there any scent to it? Breathe in slowly and notice any aroma.
4). Next gently place your raisin in your mouth. Just let it lie on your tongue for a while. Then move it around inside your mouth. Gently play with it. Ponder on the vague taste of it.
5). Eventually, press your teeth onto it without biting through it. What do you notice? A change of smell? A building sense of sweetness? Focus on the experience and how intense the flavor is. Then, gently bite right through it - and become aware of how the taste increases and lingers on your tongue. Suck gently, noticing how fruity your saliva is as the raisin loses its shape and form. When you are ready, swallow it.
6). Sit awhile, noticing the sensation as the raisin begins its journey down to your stomach. Become aware of the taste and smell that remains in your mouth and the slight stickiness on your fingers.
7). Breathe in and out slowly.
8). Consider the different factors that were needed to get this raisin into your body today: What was needed to grow it? Sun, rain, clouds, soil, heat and light from the sun, the care of the farmers who tended the vines. The workers who picked and packaged it, dried it, the circumstances behind their labor, their need to work, to support themselves, to support their families. Consider how it was transported to the store. The trucks, boats, or planes, and fuel processed from the earth. The roads that had to be built. The workers who unloaded the truck and shelved the boxes. The money someone earned to purchase it from the store. And what did your body need to do in order to eat it? To literally bring it to your mouth? What nourished your body before this moment today? What factors were involved in you getting you here to this specific moment with this piece of food?