A Challenge to Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is not reading about mindful eating. It is not reading while eating.
Following on the heals of the recently concluded ninety-day Big Sit "challenge," Triciyle's on-line community is hosting a two week Mindful Eating meditative experience. As was the case previously with the Big Sit, there will be daily on-line suggestions and support, this time offered by Dr. Jan Chozen Bays. Just like any other form of meditation, Bays, reminds us that "mindful eating involves bringing the mind’s attention to the sensations of eating, then discovering that the mind has wandered off."

In her first article, Dr. Bays makes the suggestion that we begin this "challenge" by first practicing the skill of assessing the seven hungers (Stomach, Body or Cellular Hunger, Eye, Nose, Mouth, Mind, and finally Heart "Hungers"). While this activity sounds very esoteric and maybe even "weird," I am looking forward to the challenge of carefully considering what I ingest, not with an eye towards weight loss, but with a focus on maintaining the moment while eating.