Sunday, June 30, 2013

eAtiNg wiTh pReseNcE . . .

Dear FunFreePeePs!

This morning I did some very interesting noticing.

I woke up around 5 am but I decided to stay in bed; one of my favorite luxuries during the summer is falling back asleep and lolligagging under my blankies until I feel like getting up. During the school year when I work as a teacher I don't have that choice . . .  ; 0)

Anyway, I finally got out of bed around 6:45 and I was really hungry, so I cooked up a delicious breakfast: egg whites, a bagel, and a mixture of steamed kale and bok choy with parmesan cheese--topped of with a steaming cup of hot coffee.

I sat down at the table looking out at the lake, and I had the urge to reach for my laptop and check my mail . . . and I just noticed that's what I wanted to do (but didn't open my computer), and I sat and took a bite of my breakfast, and continued to gaze down at the rolling waves and watch the wind blow through the trees.

I noticed again how hard it was for me not to multi-task while I was eating, and then I realized how many different things I do while I am eating--many of which actually prevent me from enjoying the deliciously prepared food I create for myself (I'm an awesome cook).

Here is a list of stuff I do while I'm eating:
  • watch TV 
  • check email
  • talk on the phone
  • write in my planner
  • cook and clean
  • do laundry
  • read or surf the net
  • write my blog
Today I have decided I will not do anything while I am eating. I will savor my food in a conscious manner, look around my environment, listen to the sounds around me, and taste my meal.

Now it's lunchtime. Here's what I'm having: chips with home-made corn apple salsa, chicken (rolled up), and steamed kale and bok choy with ginger topped off with sesame seeds. YUM-O-RAMA!



During my lunch, I noticed that I ate slowly and intentionally tasted almost every bite, but I still reached over for my computer a few times and had to stop myself. 

Interesting. 

Another thing I am noticing is that my mind is really busy chattering away constantly. Planning. Revisiting the past. Judging. Blah, blah, blah. This is why we meditate, right? To quiet the brain. Sometimes I think I only live up in the top 10 inches of my body--as in--my brain. One of my biggest lessons right now is learning how to tame my brain.

Let's just say it's a very long and challenging class!

During lunch, had I not been paying attention, I would have missed the red-headed woodpecker in the tree outside the window. I wonder what that totem means . . . when I looked it up, one of the things it means is rhythm.

I guess it's no coincidence that today I ran about 3 or 4 miles, and it was really hard--until I began counting in rhythm my steps on the rocky earth, which made my stride faster and stronger . . . and helped me forget the pain in my hip and lower back and which allowed me to run an extra half-mile.

But I digress . . . 

How can you eat in a more present manner? Leave a comment and share your idea.

Yum!
Dana







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