I never really considered myself a “non-mindful” eater. I ate like everyone else I’d ever met: one sits down, eats, one tries not to overeat, and we’re done. I considered myself someone that enjoys food and the act of eating. I like to cook. And yet, looking back, I was very often be the first person to finish my meal - “wow you eat quickly!” I might hear and take that as a badge of pride. It just was the way it was.
Really enjoyed your piece! It made me think about something else I'm trying to do to be more present in the moment: mindful emptying of the dishwasher. If there's something that comes close to eating in terms of how many times you have to do it every day, it's emptying and loading the dishes. I found that I often do it thinking about something else. So I started experimenting with focusing on each plate, fork or cup from them the moment my hand lifts them from the dishwasher to the moment I place them where they belong. What I've noticed is that if you pay attention to the movements you make, you'll end up wanting to put more effort in making them more graceful. From a chore it becomes a dance.
This topic really strikes a chord with me. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. And this morning I had the time and presence of mind to really pay attention to all the steps that I took for its preparation, and then sat down with my reading glasses on to really see the little crystals of salt and pepper on the slices of tomatoes and cucumber that I carefully had placed on the perfectly toasted lavash bread with a layer of Greek feta cheese spread. It tasted awesome. And it went really well with my hot cup of Persian tea lightly sweetened with a pinch of sugar. A beautiful sight in the morning sun; with the warm aroma of toasted bread mixed with the fragrances of freshly cut cucumber and tomatoes; and the great feast for the tastebuds.
BTW. I love your picture of the bento box. Great job. Very appetizing! Thank you.
Really enjoyed your piece! It made me think about something else I'm trying to do to be more present in the moment: mindful emptying of the dishwasher. If there's something that comes close to eating in terms of how many times you have to do it every day, it's emptying and loading the dishes. I found that I often do it thinking about something else. So I started experimenting with focusing on each plate, fork or cup from them the moment my hand lifts them from the dishwasher to the moment I place them where they belong. What I've noticed is that if you pay attention to the movements you make, you'll end up wanting to put more effort in making them more graceful. From a chore it becomes a dance.
This topic really strikes a chord with me. My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. And this morning I had the time and presence of mind to really pay attention to all the steps that I took for its preparation, and then sat down with my reading glasses on to really see the little crystals of salt and pepper on the slices of tomatoes and cucumber that I carefully had placed on the perfectly toasted lavash bread with a layer of Greek feta cheese spread. It tasted awesome. And it went really well with my hot cup of Persian tea lightly sweetened with a pinch of sugar. A beautiful sight in the morning sun; with the warm aroma of toasted bread mixed with the fragrances of freshly cut cucumber and tomatoes; and the great feast for the tastebuds.
BTW. I love your picture of the bento box. Great job. Very appetizing! Thank you.