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Mindful Meals This week's exercise is inspired by Carlo Petrini's Slow Food Movement. By focusing on helping people "rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking," the Slow Food Movement made us rethink how our food was being sourced, produced and consumed. Have you ever done a little sheet caking? Food is one of the many important sources we turn to for mood boosts, celebrations, and cultural tradition. Yet, food isn't always something we turn to as a source of deeper personal connection and mindfulness.  Introducing Your Mindful Meal Exercise What It Is A 15 minute eating meditation.  Why We Love It  We all eat at some point each day. Why not use that as an opportunity to restore your mind and your emotions? How It Works When you sit down to have a meal tomorrow, commit to making it a mindful experience. That means no scarfing and no distractions (e.g., cell phones, chitchat, reading material). As you begin, bring your attention to your food and the full experience that surrounds it. Ask yourself: How does the plate look? What colors do I see? What is the texture like? Where did this food come from? How does my body feel right now? With each bite, be aware of the sensations and movements involved. How does it feel to pick up the utensil? What sensations occur when I move the bite to my mouth? What do I notice as I chew? When you've finished your meal, notice how you feel.  On a scale of 1-10 how hungry are you? Do you notice a difference in your level of hunger when you eat mindfully? Did you notice a difference in how you felt a few hours after your mindful meal? Can you really apply mindfulness to a meal? Yes. According to Harvard nutritionist, Dr. Cheung, by "being fully attentive to your food" you can begin to understand your engrained habits around meals and transform the way you eat. Here are some tidbits to learn more: To learn more about how eating cake can boost serotonin in the brain, check this out.  For more on how others practice mindful eating, check this out from NYT. To learn more about Dr. Cheung's research on mindful eating, check out Savor. To learn more about mindful eating from the Zen teacher who helped popularize it, check out Thich Nhat Hanh's book. Shout. It. Out. To Angel Hu for her expertise on this exercise! Missed out on past treks? Click Here Copyright © 2018 LifeTrekkers, All rights reserved. Want more information? Drop us a line at info@trekkers.me. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.