I was eating lunch the other day, more than a little distracted by the litany of to-do's on my list. This, of course, ushered in an unplanned experience of for mindless eating.
Half-way through a truly phenomenal plate of stir-fry, filled with all of my favorite veggies and nutty brown rice, tons of flavor--a culinary work of art, one might say--I realized that each time I took a bite, I was loading another bite onto my fork immediately after the previous bite had hit my tongue.
I stopped. And realized I was using my fork as a shovel.
I actually asked myself, "Is this really how you want to enjoy this fabulous meal? And is this really how you want to serve your body's nutritional needs...mindlessly and haphazardly?" (It's true, I actually have these types of conversations with myself often).
So, I finished the meal consciously. Purposefully. I set my fork down after each bite. I chewed my food fully, savoring the flavors and textures. I gave my body and mind time to communicate with one another and to let me know when I'd had enough. And I actually enjoyed my meal, using it as a celebration of food and of health, and as a bit of "respite" from the rest of my busy day.
As I continue to practice this daily, it's changing my relationship with food and with the experience of eating in a very good way.
All from seeing flatware as a fork, not as a shovel. And being present to the moment, to my food, and to my body. A very cool tool, indeed.
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