| Eating
If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest
all the stars and all the heavens.
Robert Browning
For
the week beginning November 1st, 2004
 DO
YOU TASTE your food, or do you gulp it without really experiencing
and savoring it deeply? If you taste your food without being afraid
or anxious, then you will not gulp down your meal.This practice lets
you mindfully experience those foods that you tend to overeat or restrict.
Set the intention:“May I experience my food with all my senses.”
Now, with your sight notice its color and texture. Let yourself sense
its aroma. As you bite and chew, feel the hot or coldness of the food.
Then, note to yourself if it tastes spicy, sweet, sour, salty, bitter,
or pungent. Chew until the flavor disappears.
Before taking another bite, listen and observe your mind and thoughts.What
are your feelings telling you about this food and your eating? Continue
experiencing all sensations and emotions until you want to stop –
not because of fear, but because you are no longer physically or emotionally
hungry.
•
Savor the flavor, sights, smells, and
sounds of today’s meal.
Choices
Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar
into four pieces with your bare hands – and then
eat just one of the pieces.
Judith Viorst, poet
For
the week of November 5th
DO
YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH to eat a little less (or more) for your
overall health? Breaking a chocolate bar is easy. It’s eating
one piece that requires constant practice and effort.
Do you ever fool yourself into thinking that because you eat something
good you can eat bad foods over which you have little willpower? The
first way to build up strength over any food is to be honest. If you
cannot refrain from eating or buying your most tempting food, just accept
that for the moment – without blame and shame.
At least you have a starting point. Now, you can work on refraining
for five seconds or a minute longer than in the past. For example, take
a breath before eating that food.Take two breaths, or three breaths.
Eventually, the desire may pass while you are breathing. Eventually,
you can choose freely to eat that food or not to eat it.
•
Build strength by taking one
breath at a time.
Choices
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Proverb
For
the week of November 12th
HOW
OFTEN DO YOU MISS A MEAL because of a situation at home or
work? Skipped meals cause hunger, which in turn can cause mindless and
hasty food selection.
My suggestion is to have a backup plan.This way, you can always eat
food that energizes you. Sometimes, a backup plan means knowing your
surroundings and what is available. For example, some fast-food restaurants
feature salads.
Also, are you aware of the products being sold in nearby vending machines?
I once took three-hour classes in a building with two vending machines.
On the first day of class I learned that only one machine offered items
such as cottage cheese and yogurt. I was aware my choices were limited
and took that into account before going to class.
Lastly, you always have the opportunity to make (or buy) food and carry
it with you.
•
Plan ahead for skillful food choices.
Choices
Almost every person has something secret
he likes to eat.
M. F. K. Fisher, author
For the week of November 19th
DO
YOU HAVE A SECRET food or secret emotional craving that drives
your desire for food? Why is this food/emotion a secret for you? Do
you restrict a secret food choice even though you like it intensely?
For example, my secret food is one that I rarely eat today, but remember
fondly from childhood – whipped cream. When our parents were not
around, my brother and I would shake the can and spray the whipped cream
right onto our hands. Sometimes we would have a food fight with it.
Today, however, it is not a food choice for me. But should whipped cream
adorn a dessert or hot chocolate, I am never disappointed.
Sometimes, secret foods can be caused by secret emotional cravings.
It is okay to bring your secret foods and secret emotional cravings
into the light.When you do this, you remove any shame or embarrassment
surrounding them.Give yourself permission to experience and enjoy your
secret food in moderation.
•
What is your secret food? Why do you feel
about it the way you do?
Choices
A piece of rope remains a rope, whether or not
we mistake it for a snake.
Shankara , Crest-Jewel of Discrimination
For the week of November 26th
DO
YOU HAVE strongly held ideas about your food choices? Are some
foods always good and others always bad? Do you, for example, turn that
piece of cake into a snake? When a food becomes bad, then whoever eats
that food, including you, also becomes bad.This kind of righteousness
leads to blame and shame.
There are more balanced ways to view food choices.You can explore them
by how they contribute to the harmony of your mindbody-spirit. Do you
feel lighter or heavier? Do you feel more peaceful and calmer or anxious
and agitated? Do you feel focused or distracted? This way you label
food by its effect, and not by making it bad in itself.
Balance also means not having to deny and reject a food outright. There
may be a time or place for a food in your life,without blame or shame.This
Thanksgiving season, you can be less judgmental about food as you seek
more balance and peace with food.
•
Don’t judge food or yourself harshly.
© Meal
by Meal by Donald Altman
published by Inner Ocean Publishing,
All Rights Reserved, 2004
|
Donald
Altman MA, counseling psychology, is an award-winning writer,
former Buddhist monk, and author of several critically reviewed books
about mindful and spiritual living. His books include "Living
Kindness: The Buddha's Ten Guiding Principles for a Blessed Life,"
"Art of the Inner Meal: The Power of Mindful Practices to Heal
Food Cravings," and most recently "Meal By Meal: 365 Daily
Meditations for Finding Balance Through Mindful Eating." For
more information on Donald's workshops, speeches, and counseling services,
please see his website: 