Mindful Eating, a Habit to Savor

December 5, 2024 by Fitness On Earth

This entry was posted on November 21, 2024 by Charlotte Bell.

At every silent Insight meditation retreat I’ve attended – at Last Resort in southern Utah or Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California – meals have always been the most reliable source of daily enjoyment . This is partly due to the skill and attention of the people who plan and prepare the meals, which are always healthy, tasty and prepared with love. Another reason retreat food brings such pleasure is that it’s not up to me to plan the menu, buy and assemble the ingredients, and prepare the food. I like to cook, but I also like to be surprised. It’s wonderful to walk into the dining room not knowing what awaits us, but knowing that it will be delicious and invigorating, because it always is. But perhaps the most important thing is to practice mindful eating. After days or weeks of practicing mindfulness, each activity—sitting, walking, showering, doing yogi work, and eating—becomes part of the practice. Slowing down and being present in your daily activities makes everything you do more satisfying.

Benefits of Mindful Eating

Here are some of the benefits I’ve noticed from eating mindfully:

Food textures and flavors come to life.
Slowing down helps with digestion.
I tend to eat less because I’m more aware of when my body is full. I eat what I need rather than what I to want.
Practicing mindful eating takes your meditation practice out of your meditation cushion and into your life, where it can have a greater impact.

Eating mindfully is common sense. But most of us lead busy lives, juggling many responsibilities. We often eat on the fly or multitask while we eat. I’m as guilty as anyone, but I try to slow down and enjoy at least one meal every day. Here are some tips that might help you adopt a mindful eating habit.

How to Eat Mindfully Every Day

Set an achievable intention. Start with something simple, perhaps eating one meal every day, or even every week, slowly and mindfully. Intentions are powerful. Deciding that you are going to explore mindful eating is the first step.
Invite a friend. If you have a partner or family, encourage them to join you. It’s much easier to start a new practice when you and a friend can inspire each other. For example, you could commit to eating a mindful family meal every day. If you can’t do it every day, try three times a week or once a week.
Start with a moment of silence. Before tasting, take a few moments to savor the images and smells that emerge from your plate. Cultivate gratitude.
Be aware of the whole process. Here’s what it might look like: Be aware of the movements and sensations in your arm and hands when you grab your utensils. Feel the weight, texture, coolness or heat of your fork, spoon or knife. Follow the movement of your hand and arm as you move them toward your plate. Feel the weight of the food on your fork or spoon as you lift it toward your mouth. Pay attention to the movements of your jaw and teeth, as well as the flavors and textures of the foods you eat. Chew, with presence, until the food is completely broken down. Be present when swallowing.
At a meditation retreat at Spirit Rock, Sally Armstrong spoke about the practice of “putting down the fork.” Very often, we already have our next bite on the fork, ready to shovel it, before we have finished the food we are currently chewing. Instead, as you chew your food, place your fork or spoon on your plate and avoid picking it up again until you are ready to eat another bite.

Some additional tips for mindful eating

If you enjoy journaling, write down your experiences. Writing can help you clarify your intentions and the benefits of your practice.

Mindful eating doesn’t have to be done at home. You can follow all these steps when enjoying food at a restaurant.

It’s not always easy to develop new habits, so be kind to yourself. Set your intention, but know that you may not always be able to achieve it. If you miss a day, it’s no big deal. You can start again with your next meal.

Eating is essential. Consuming healthy, nourishing foods replenishes our prana. We’re going to eat anyway, so why not pay attention to it?

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell discovered yoga in 1982 and began teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice, and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. Her third book is Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protecting the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Pain (Shambhala Publications). She writes a monthly column for CATALYST magazine and is the editor-in-chief of Yoga U Online. Charlotte is a founding board member of GreenTREE Yoga, a nonprofit organization that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and the folk sextet Red Rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy Awards.