In this piece for Thrive Global I want to share a really great but simple exercise you can do that will put you right back in touch with how you eat and why.
Of course, it’s not going to help you loose weight on its own, but it could start a whole new relationship for you with food and indeed how you live your life.
And remember, food is not there to make you live longer, it’s there to make you live better and live now! It’s a parable to wellness, which is rather Mindful in itself, don’t you think?
This exercise is called Tasting The Fruit and here’s how you do it:
“Sit comfortably and hold a piece of your favourite fruit in your hand. Look at it and examine it as if you’ve never seen it before.
Imagine it as it grows from a seed and through all the stages of growth until it has become what you are now holding and looking at and become aware of the shape, texture, colour, size, hardness, or yield.
Raise it to your nose and inhale its’ aroma. Anticipate eating, but don’t, not yet. How does the fruit feel in your hand?
Now place it in your mouth and become aware of the interplay with your tongue and how it feels inside your mouth. Note all the sensations as they work together.
Chew three times and then stop. Describe the flavour to yourself. Describe the texture. Complete chewing and swallow.
Then sit quietly noting your breath as you breathe in and out and acknowledging how you feel in the moment and what you have noticed during the exercise”. (Taken from Chapter Six, ‘Uncovering Mindfulness: In Search Of A Life More Meaningful’)
It really is that simple and you can check out more really easy, can-do exercises, together with some other great tools and techniques for Mindful Living and Mindful Working in my book ‘Uncovering Mindfulness: In Search Of A Life More Meaningful’.
Paul Mudd is the author of ‘Uncovering Mindfulness: In Search Of A Life More Meaningful’ available on Amazon and www.bookboon.com; the ‘Coffee & A Cup of Mindfulness’ and the ‘Mindful Hacks For Mindful Living & Mindful Working’ series. He is also a Contributing Author to The Huffington Post and a Contributing Writer to Thrive Global. Through The Mudd Partnership he works with business leaders, organisations and individuals in support of change, leadership excellence, business growth, organistional and individual wellbeing and well doing, and introducing Mindfulness. He can be contacted at [email protected] and you can follow the continuing journey uncovering Mindfulness on Twitter @TheMindfulBook and at @Paul_Mudd
Originally published at medium.com