“Some of us,” writes Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, “while looking at a piece of carrot, can see the whole cosmos in it, can see the sunshine in it, can see the earth in it. It has come from the whole cosmos for our nourishment.”

It’s Spring, redolent with jasmine, wet earth and new beginnings.  It’s the time of year when we are naturally drawn to eating fresher, simpler food.  It’s also a good time to explore how, as well as what, we eat.

For many women, childhood mealtimes of being coaxed or forced to eat “one more spoon” or growing up with injunctions like “you have to eat all the food on your plate – other children are starving!” has left an uneasy legacy around food:  eating too much or too little; or eating because we’re bored, unhappy, angry or lonely.

Eating with Awareness

Along the way to mindful eating, there are two gentle guidelines:

Make time for family meals.  Studies have shown that families who eat together at least once a day are healthier and happier, and beyond this that babies and children who are fed separately or differently to the rest of the family grow up less able to trust their inner wisdom around what and how much they need to eat. Eating together is so much more than just nutrition:  it’s about conversation, discovery and sharing.

When you eat, slow down.  Appreciate your food.  We’re so used snacking while we talk, eating dinner while we watch tv, grabbing a sandwich in the car that often we’re not really even aware of what we’re putting in our mouths, how it tastes or what it does for our bodies.

Just One Raisin …

Many meditation courses use the simple but powerful “Raisin Exercise” – try this!

Put one raisin in your mouth, and hold it there for a moment.  Feel the texture, the ridges; notice how soft or firm it is.  Now chew it gently just once to release the flavour.  Appreciate the taste and notice how your body changes in response to the sweetness of the raisin.  Chew it again and do the same – just think about the raisin. Notice if you’re ready to swallow and move on to the next one, or if you’re able to continue appreciating.

This a wonderful way to become mindful of the food you eat and how your mind and body work together.

The monastic philosophy of many cultures asks that meals be eaten in silence allowing you to appreciate your meal, bite by bite. Food that is eaten slowly and with awareness also has far higher nutritive benefits to our bodies than food that is swallowed hurriedly without being partially digested in our mouths. While you may not choose to eat in silence, you may at least decide to be kind to your digestion by avoiding conflict at the table – a sure-fire cause for indigestion at the very least!

When we eat mindfully, we engage with the miracle of life that brings sustenance to us each day, and appreciating this can only bring a little more peace and a lot more awareness to the rest of our lives.

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