Eating Meditation

Eating_MeditationIf you’ve always assumed that meditation means sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed, you’ve probably never heard of eating meditations. Focusing on the present moment works just as well when you apply it to your everyday life. That means when you’re eating a meal I recommend that you slow down and notice the patterns of your own mind. This gives you back the choice of how you want to live as opposed to coursing on autopilot. Here’s how to do it.

How to do an Eating Meditation?

Before you pick up your food, take a couple of deep breaths to allow your body and mind to settle.

Focus on the process of eating. Close your eyes and enjoy every bite, be sensitive to every flavour and texture. Become more conscious, more mindful, and more centred as you eat. Notice that you will naturally eat less. When you eat consciously, often one small bite will be enough to make you feel full.

Devi ate slowly. Each of her movements was in harmony; each mouthful seemed to bring her profound joy. This way of absorbing herself in things extended to her every activity. I had the impression that nothing was done mechanically. With her, everything was an occasion for communicating deeply, for remaining always anchored in reality. Thus, everything she did became a teaching for me. Through my association with her, I noticed those “holes” that punctuate our daily lives when we completely lose consciousness of the moment and of the divine harmony as well.

– Tantric Quest

When you eat, the first tattva you encounter will be the smell. Close your eyes. Breathe in your food, smell and enjoy the odour. Now take a moment to expand your sense of smell and notice that the smell of your food contains all the smells of the earth. Only then does your consciousness penetrate to the heart of smell. The Heart of smell is real. Only your superficial contact with the heart of smell is not real.

Next comes the tattva of taste. Take a bit of the food. Savor it. Penetrate to the Heart of taste. Taste the reality of this heart, which contains all the tastes of the earth. That’s what must be penetrated.

After swallowing, ride the taste as it moves from gross to subtle, in that movement you will find God.

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