When you are walking, walk. When you are eating, eat. –Zen Proverb
This will serve as a mini post before I move on to part 2 of the yoga squat tutorial.
I had the house to myself this morning. I opened all of the windows to enjoy the cool morning breeze, did a little yoga and then made some breakfast. Bacon and eggs, some black beans and an apple. I took my time cooking it, I took my time eating it, and I happily cleaned up afterward while listening to a John Coltrane record– fittingly it was A Love Supreme.
This is something that I’ve been thinking about for a very long time, but I’m finally doing it and I’m going to share it with you. I’m engaging in a full month of mindful eating.
I’m also doing a news fast, which you can read about here, but this second challenge is a little more directed at improving a stagnant positive behavior instead of removing a regularly negative one. This post ties in with a previous post that I wrote about mindful dining.
What can I say…I love to eat 🙂
What is ‘Mindful Eating’?
Mindful eating is simply the practice of really taking the time to focus on what you’re eating. It doesn’t matter what it is, whether you’re eating Ding Dongs or dragonfruit. Simply enjoying the moment with that bite of food that you just put in your mouth is the simplest way to describe it. But there’s a little more to it than that.
Mindful preparation
Step 1: take the time to pay attention and to craft your meal. Make it something that feels like a privilege, not a chore.
Every time you prepare a meal for your family or your friends or your parole officer, you are engaging in a labor of love, whether it feels that way or not. That’s why it feels so unfulfilling to microwave your dinner. Taking the time to choose the appropriate ingredients, to gather all of the utensils and cookware needed, and finally to cook and present your food should be something that you enjoy rather than something that is yet another obligation.
A well-crafted meal can take many forms, but if you’re throwing it together without any care, then you might as well be eating out of a feedbag.
Mindful eating
Step 2: take a moment to understand how amazing each bite is.
I could start this step with a rant about how there are starving people in India, etc., etc. You already know that. Instead I’ll ask you to try something. Close your eyes and chew every bite 25 times. . It doesn’t matter what you’re eating, but there is a high likelihood that you will enjoy it much more than if you were just shoving it in your mouth while staring at your phone.
You might look a little funny while you slowly and carefully chew your Chipotle burrito with your eyes closed, but it will taste a lot better.
PS: if you’re a meat eater (as I am), it’s worth your time to acknowledge that a creature died so that you could eat it. Rather than scarf it down, give that critter a little credit and try to make it a little more purposeful.
Cleanup is part of your mindfulness practice
Step 3: Make an effort to clean up without making a big deal about it
I am fortunate to live in a small apartment. I say ‘fortunate’ because it allows for virtually no room to be a slob.
Just like making your bed in the morning is an amazingly effective way to improve your overall quality of life, doing the dishes does not have to suck.
You just had a delicious meal that you thoroughly enjoyed for once. Now you are allowed ten minutes of contemplation as you carefully clean the dishes. Even putting them in the dishwasher can be meditative. Perhaps you can put on some music, or just listen to the sounds of your vibrant home.
Find something to be grateful for in the process. You have clean dishes to eat off of, or your family is sustained with full bellies. Your wife or husband or whoever is peacefully sleeping on the couch. There is always something to be grateful for. You will not solve all of your problems while you do the dishes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel good about the little things.
The one-month eating challenge
Doing this for every single meal is probably a little too much to ask of yourself. Instead, just for one week. Try to choose a single meal to truly enjoy. Just follow these steps to make it a unique part of your day rather than just going through the motions.
We only truly require a couple things to survive: water, food, sleep and shelter. This is one of the four that we have the luxury of making truly unique. Do your best to enjoy it.