Mindful Eating & Drinking
Mindfulness is about awareness, particularly awareness of the present moment.
There are lots of things that we can be aware of.
These exercises of mindful eating or mindful drinking help us to use all of our senses in the here and now.
The guidance below describes uses a piece of wrapped chocolate or a cup of coffee. You can use anything you like! Choose something that you enjoy and make it a full sensory experience.
Mindful Eating – Chocolate:
1. Choose one piece of chocolate and don’t eat it straight away! You might simply hold it in the palm of your hand.
2. Look at the wrapper. Notice if anything surprises you about it. Is it dull or shiny? Does it catch the light? Does it cast a shadow.
3. Notice how it feels in your hand. Is it rough or smooth? Is it heavy or light?
4. When you are ready, open your wrapper. What can you hear as you open your wrapper? Does it rustle? Does it rip?
5. Notice how the chocolate looks now. Is there a pattern? Are there any imperfections? Is there more than one shade of brown?
6. Notice if your chocolate has a smell. What happens when you smell your piece of chocolate?
7. Take a little bite of your chocolate. Notice the taste.
8. Finish your chocolate in your own time, noticing all of your senses.
Mindful Drinking – Coffee:
1. While waiting for the kettle to boil, notice what you can see. Notice the steam rising. Notice what your mug looks like. Notice the sound of the water as it boils.
2. Notice the movements you make as you pour the water, add your milk, add your sugar – whatever you do to make your coffee just as you like it.
3. Notice how your coffee looks now.
4. Before you take a sip of coffee, notice how it smells.
5. Take a sip, notice the taste, notice the temperature.
6. See if you can focus on all of your senses while you drink your coffee.
If you notice that you have become distracted, that is perfectly normal. That’s just what the mind does. See if you can notice this without judging yourself and bring your attention back to your coffee.
Other Mindful Practises
Not all exercises are right for everyone at all times. You may need to try a few before you find one that works for you. The buttons below will take you to other mindful practises that you may find helpful.
