Can eating just one raisin change your mind?

photo by wimuwi73

This exercise introduces the concept of mindfulness in a tangible way. It helps improve our relationship with food and reduce emotional or impulsive eating.

Mindful eating: A raisin

1. Take one raisin and keep it in your hand.
2. Hold the raisin in the palm of your hand. Feel the weight of it.
3. Look at this raisin. Notice any unique features of your raisin. Let your eyes explore every part; examine the highlights where light shines, its darker crevasses, its folds and ridges.
4. Hold the raisin between your fingers and turn it. Notice its texture and its “topography.”
5. Hold the raisin to your ear. Squish it a bit. Does it make a sound? Take note of any sensations you feel.
6. Hold the raisin beneath your nose, and with each inhalation drink in any smell, aroma or fragrance that may arise, noticing as you do this if there’s anything interesting happening in your mouth or stomach.
7. Simply notice any thoughts that you may have, such as likes or dislikes, without trying to push them away.
8. With awareness, slowly bring the raisin to your lips, noticing how your hand and arm know exactly where to position it, perhaps noticing that saliva starts to get secreted as you bring the raisin towards your mouth.
9. Gently place the raisin in your mouth, without chewing notice how it gets into the mouth in the first place. Spend a few moments exploring the sensations of having it in your mouth, exploring it with your tongue.
10. Notice to which side your tongue pushes the raisin.
11. When you’re ready, prepare to chew the raisin.
12. Then very consciously, take one or two bites into the raisin and notice what happens in the aftermath, experiencing any waves of taste that emanates from it as you continue chewing.
13. Resist the urge to swallow the raisin. Notice the sensation of taste—the juice of the raisin and its texture in your mouth and how these change over time, as well as any changes in the raisin itself.
14. See if you can first detect the intention to swallow as it comes up, so that you experience this sensation consciously before you actually swallow the raisin.
15. Finally, swallow the raisin—see if you can feel the raisin going down towards your stomach and even entering your stomach. Perhaps noticing what it feels like to be one raisin heavier.
16. Sense how the body as a whole feels after completing this mindful eating exercise. Notice your thoughts.

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