This is the second part of Dilya Mavlanova-August's blog on Minfdulness. Following on from last week's post on what is mindfulness, and mindful consumption, this post looks at mindful eating
Mindful Eating Steps
by Dilya Mavlanova-August, the founder of Mindful Globe
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Daily we go through the bombardment of heavy-loaded news, our system is constantly pushed to a survival mode. Survival mode reduces our immune system and hence making it more exposed. One of the tips on living more mindfully is to incorporate mindful eating into your routine. When we do not eat mindfully, our digestive system is not working up to 100%, meaning that we are not getting all the benefits.
Here are 4 steps to eat more mindfully.
Step 1.
Switch off all of your devices, TV, radio, mobile phones prior to having your meal
Step 2.
Before you start eating, smell your food and take time to appreciate it. Reflect on how this food ended up on your plate - who cooked it, where the ingredients came from, the individuals that picked the ingredients, the delivery person who brought the ingredients to your shop. Think about how many people, and communities were involved in making your dish happen.
Step 3.
Gradually start eating the food, whilst noticing the palette of taste, the sounds of your food, and observe the process of chewing and swallowing.
Step 4.
Notice how you may start salivating and your digestion system switches on the support you getting the most of your meal.
We are living a busy life and sometimes it may not be possible to have all meals following the steps above, but when you make an effort to introduce these steps in your daily or weekly routine you may notice that the food tastes better, that your experience is very grounding and calming, and that there is a sense of gratitude and appreciation coming out of this practice.
Dilya's 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Course (MBSR) starts on 25 January 2021. The course is run online every Monday. You can find more details at www.mindfulglobe.org
