Just as your body is always with you, making it a great object for meditation, there are activities you do every day that can help you “wake up” to the present moment. Eating is one such activity, and it can serve as both a meditation practice and an opportunity to choose how you nourish yourself.

Choose a meal this week during which you can eat mindfully. Choose a time when you will be eating alone, and start with a smaller meal – such as breakfast. The key to this practice is to move a little slower than usual, and use your food as your object of focus, returning back to the food in front of you whenever you lose track of your experience.

• When you eat, just eat. Turn off all distractions – the TV, cell phone – and put away the newspapers and books.
• See your food.
• Smell your food.
• Feel your hand lifting your food or utensil toward your mouth, and feel your food pass over your lips and onto your tongue.
• Taste your food as though it were the first time.
• Hear your food. Does it squish? Crunch?
• Notice your thoughts. If they take you away from your experience, or contain “add-ons,” simply begin again!