Use your senses

Mindfulness stems from awareness. So what is awareness?

Awareness begins with the senses. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. When we are focused on the future or dwelling on the past we can’t actively be aware of the now. Using our senses helps to bring us back.

With food and the emotions that can often drive our eating behaviors, sense awareness is a quick and powerful tool to help steer the ship. It becomes very hard to fall victim to mindless eating when we are hyper aware of our senses in the moment.

Like anything else, this is a skill that must be practiced. It will not come naturally. But with practice over time it will become more automatic.

Let’s use an Orange as an example. Feel the texture of the rind, the bumps and dimples. As you puncture the rind with your nail pay attention to the sounds and smells that emanate with the fruit’s exposure. Watch the mist rupture from within as the citrus aroma permeates the room. Pull a section and take a bite.

How does it taste when it hits the front of your tongue? The back? The sides? How does the texture change as you chew more fully?

Take your time chewing the orange, breaking it down to its essence of juice and pulp. Count your chews. How many can you muster before the urge to swallow is too great?

Take your time, even just once per day, and see how it can change your perception of the everyday foods you eat. If you struggle with emotional eating there are tools that can help. This is one. Use your senses and truly experience your food.