The art of slow

I used to spend 100% of my time in my head.

Living two steps ahead of where my reality was.

Because of that, I was never in the moment.

I was never in my body.

And then, I learned the art of how to be in the moment.

I was at a mindfulness seminar.

We were each given one of those fun-sized chocolate bars,

The lights were turned off,

And he explained what to do…

Smell the chocolate, lick the chocolate.

Now, take a tiny bite.

Notice it in your mouth, the texture, the flavour.

Now swallow it and notice how it feels as it makes its way to your stomach.

We were gently guided through,

The process taking about 20 minutes.

It was an amazing experience in so many ways.

I learned what it truly meant to be in the moment,

To eat mindfully.

And when doing so, how such a small amount of food can be truly satisfying.

I ate less than a third of that tiny bar and honestly didn’t want any more.

I’d had enough.

I was so satisfied.

I used to think being in the present moment was a bit woo-woo,

A bit wishy-washy.

Like there was no power in it.

But this is actually where all of your power is.

So many of us resist the moment we’re in.

Especially if what we’re experiencing is uncomfortable.

Ironically, this is often when we use food to help us cope.

Except we don’t eat mindfully.

Instead, we quickly down whatever we’ve chosen,

To help us deal with, forget about the moment we’re in,

To distract us from the discomfort we feel.

But all feelings pass.

Think about it: have you ever been stuck in joy?

So next time you want to eat something to distract from the present moment,

Whilst doing so, try slowing down.

Do your best to be fully aware in the moment with what you’re eating,

While you’re eating,

Every. Delicious. Bite…

How does it change the experience for you?

Do you notice yourself eating less?

Do you notice yourself enjoying it more?

And if you’d like help to eat more mindfully,

Or if emotional eating is a problem for you

And you’d like a solution,

Get in touch.

You may also like to take a look at my Urge Surfing app

Urge surfing is the most effective way to end emotional eating.

Photo credit: unsplash