Eating Mindfully

During our meeting today, we discussed eating mindfully

Emotional Sobriety is about turning to God for EVERYTHING and having conscious contact with the God of our understanding. Our food is but a symptom of our disconnection to our Higher Power.

Every moment is an opportunity to connect with God, no matter what we are doing. As compulsive eaters, eating can be an opportunity to be fully present and connect to our Higher Power and be mindful of what we are putting into our mouths.

In Step 10 meditation we practice being in the moment: right here, right now, what am I thinking? What am I feeling? What am I doing? What I am I about to do?

In Step 11 meditation, we focus our attention and concentrate on transcending time and connecting to God, who is eternal and timeless.

Below is a description of the technique of eating mindfully that can be really helpful for compulsive eaters.

To begin: take a few moments and take a few breaths to settle into your body and into the present moment.

Hear the sounds. Feel your body. Notice your breathing.

Without trying to control your breathing, pay attention to the incoming and outgoing breath.

Take this time to silently connect to God and feel His presence.

If you like, visualize a connection to God like a stream of water.

Take a few moments to appreciate your food.

Thank God for all that He has given you.

Thank God for the ability and strength to enjoy this food.

Thank God for creating the world: the earth, the sunshine and all the people and effort that allowed this food to be eaten by you in this moment.

Bring awareness to your hand as you life the folk and bring the food to your lips.

Try to eat more slowly, being fully aware of each movement necessary to eat each bite of food.

If you choose to eat at your usual speed, be as mindful as you can to the experience, right here, right now what you are doing, how you are feeling and what you are eating.

Be fully aware as the first morsel of food enters your mouth and floods your taste buds with sensations.

Notice the tendency of the mind to judge the flavor: “it is too spicy, salty,” or “it’s not what I expected.” Notice any emotions that might get stirred up: disappointment, relief, irritation, joy. Be aware of any ripples of pleasure or warmth or other physical sensations. Enjoy your food!

If you talk while you eat, notice how the talking affects you.

Do certain topics cause you to tense up or give you indigestion? Does the talk take you away from the enjoyment of your meal, or can you have both?

Stay mindful of each mouthful as you gradually eat your meal.

This part is probably the hardest because most people have a tendency to space out when they know how their food tastes. But you can continue to enjoy the taste freshly, bite after bite. (If you get distracted, you can stop and breathe for a moment or two before starting to eat again.)

Try eating mindfully, even if just for a few minutes a day, and see how it improves your conscious contact with the God of your understanding.

Below is a great picture that I found on mindful eating that others might also find helpful.