~Eating Meditation

As with sitting and walking, eating is a basic activity that we easily take for granted.
We often eat while doing other things such as talking or reading. We can learn a lot about the mind by eating without distractions and making it as much of a meditation practice as sitting and walking.

-After you have sat down with your meal, begin the meditation by noticing the smell of the food and any pleasant feeling associated with it.
-Notice the intention to move your hand and take the food. Move more slowly than normal. It can help to close your eyes as you begin to chew.
-Chew more slowly than usual. Notice the burst of flavor that comes after you take the first bite. Keep chewing slowly. What happens to the taste sensations as you keep chewing?
-Be aware of the intention to swallow the food. Also, notice if there is an intention to take more food even though you might still have some in your mouth.
-Use the mental noting technique to stay aware of the taste and what happens to it as you keep chewing.
-You can label the sensations as salty, sweet, sour, hot, and so on.
-Also, notice if there is any difference in the intensity of the taste depending upon whether you are breathing in or breathing out.
-Finally, pay attention to the signals from your stomach and your tongue as you approach the point of being full. Notice how these signals can be at odds with each other.

Eating meditation can reveal a lot about how we relate to pleasant experiences.
Liberation is experiencing what is pleasant without being gripped by the force of greed, one of the root causes of all suffering.
Eating meditation helps us realize that freedom.