Mindful eating involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both inside and outside the body. We pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, flavors, temperatures, and even the sounds (crunch!) of our food. We pay attention to the experience of the body. Where in the body do we feel hunger? Where do we feel satisfaction? What does half-full feel like, or three quarters full?
We also pay attention to the mind. While avoiding judgment or criticism, we watch when the mind gets distracted, pulling away from full attention to what we are eating or drinking. We watch the impulses that arise after we’ve taken a few sips or bites: to grab a book, to turn on the TV, to call someone on our cell phone, or to do web search on some interesting subject. We notice the impulse and return to just eating.
How we relate to food, eating and our body, in skillful and unskillful ways, is the focus of Mindful Eating-Conscious Living™ training. The emphasis is on experiential engagement in mindfulness meditation and mindful eating exercises, so that you will be able to pass on the benefits of these practices to your clients/patients in a variety of settings. The professional training focuses on building skills as you explore, experience and learn to teach core aspects of mindful eating.