You’ll need a quiet place, a seat and a piece of chocolate (or any food really, as long as it’s a food you enjoy).
1. Put the chocolate in the palm of your hand, look at it like you’ve never seen it before! Be curious, notice the shape, the colour, wrinkles, shiny, smooth, strange or interesting textures.
2. Notice how heavy it feels in your hand, feel of the outside against your finger, its texture and temperature.
3. Raise it to your nose and smell it, notice the aroma.
4. Raise it to your mouth and pause. Bring your attention to what is happening inside your mouth, notice if your salivating and your urge to eat.
5. Now slowly bite it in half and chew very slowly before swallowing. Notice the sensations and sounds, is it sweet, savoury, salty?
6. You can now swallow. Notice the movement in your throat and the sound that makes. Is there an urge to eat the remaining half? If so, then do it!
Have you ever eaten chocolate like this before? Did you really appreciate the chocolate afterwards? This is a bit exaggerated but imagine if we applied some of these principles to the way we eat every time?