There are many meditations on food from simply saying grace in a heartfelt way to becoming mindful of what we are eating. Use any of these ideas to bring mindfulness, appreciation and joy to eating.
paying attention:
Take a moment to stop and see what is on the plate: the appearance, the texture.
Notice what thoughts might immediately arise, like anticipation (chocolate) or repulsion (the dreaded lima beans) or indifference. Notice what body states follow (a tight gut salivation).
Listen to the sounds involved: the fork on the plate, the sound of chewing, the subtle sizzle or sigh of food cooling.
Notice the texture of the food in the mouth along with the taste.
Notice the scent.
Explore it as much or little as you like. Look at this food as though it is something new to you, like a child trying out a new food in her diet. See how open you can be to what it is really like (and not so much what you think it'll be like).
appreciation:
Grace can be said silently and in a moment. Try to feel a genuine, visceral gratitude for the food as you say the words, "I give thanks for this food."
The more we stop long enough to genuinely appreciate our food, the more we enjoy the simple pleasure of eating. A genuine appreciation for the food improves a food. You may even want to take a moment to imagine many of the events and people and conditions that brought this food to your table: sunshine and rain, the farmers, grocers, drivers, cooks.
By mixing a heartfelt desire for all beings to have enough food with a heartfelt appreciation of the food, you don't get caught up in guilty thoughts. Instead you transmit a clear, open and joyful energy to move this possibility along.
preparing food:
When prepared in a special way, food can be infused with healing energy. When prepared with love and affection, food can encourage the growth of that love. When prepared with negative thoughts, like, "I shouldn't have this. It's bad for me," or "I'm worried about a my friend's health," it can energetically sour the food a little.
Food always tastes better when prepared by a happy cook.
Food is one of life's great pleasures. Take some time to enjoy it !
There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.
Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.
