I am often asked "What is mindful eating?"

Well I think mindful eating or drinking is an approach to drinks that focuses on individuals' sensual awareness of the drink, environment and their experience of it.

Being more mindful of the foods and liquids we drink can aid better digestion, keep us feeling fuller for longer with less food, and can promote wiser choices about what and when we eat and drink. 

It can also help us free ourselves from any unhealthy or bad habits we may have developed around drinking and eating and it’s just a nice calming thing to do just to BE!

What is chocolate meditation?

Chocolate meditation is a form of mindfulness meditation where chocolate is used as a focal point for all the senses.

You hear the wrapper and smell, feel, see, and taste the chocolate as part of the practice.

Research shows that mindfulness-based practices can help:

Reduce stress
Lower blood pressure
Improve sleep

This should only take a couple of minutes.

You will need small piece of good chocolate about 5g (one square) will be enough for each member of the group.

Please try read each instruction one at a time before moving on to the next stage,

Approach the exercise with an open mind and a gentle curiosity there are no rights or wrongs, just individual experiences and the worst that could happen is you get to eat some chocolate.

Look  at the outter wrapper of the chocolate -

Does the wrapper crinkel or make a sound?

What colour is it?

What does it say in the copy or ingredients?

Where did it come from country of origin is it ethicle?

Open the chocolate, slowly look at the colour, notice its not just brown it may have a red tinge?

Do you get a sense of anticipation, or an urge to immediately put the chocolate in your mouth and munch resist?

What physical sensations do you have?

What emotions are you feeling? Just note them.

Touch the chocolate Consider its texture, is it smooth and shiny, is there a disign you can feel how about its weight.

Rub the corner between your thumb and forefinger see if you can make it melt a little.

 

Listen Place the chocolate next to your ear does the wrapper make a noise whats that like? snap the chocolate can you hear a crisp ringing snap or is it more of a dull thud?

 

 

 

Smell the chocolate

Lift the up to your nose and gently inhale in through your nose and out through your mouth absorb the rich chocolate aromas - what can you smell?

How does it make you feel?

Can you smell the colours you saw earlier?

Does the smell trigger any other senses? 

Taste

now gentall pich your nose place the chocolate onto your tounge but DO NOT EAT YET!!

close your mouth how does it feel as it melts? Where in your mouth can you taste it? What is the consistency?

now release your nose and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth

What is happening with your mouth, teeth, tongue, lips as it melts?

Move the chocolate around your mouth, does the area of taste change?

Does the taste itself change? what is happening to the chocolate?

How do you feel? swallow the chocolate, focusing on the sensation.

 Is there a pleasant lingering taste in your mouth?

How do you feel physically and emotionally?

Take a little while to consider the experience.

More intense?

Frustrating?

More pleasurable?

Were you more aware of your emotions during the exercise?

Will you do this again?

Why?

Try one of our tastings at home click here

Try one of our mindful hot chocolate tastings click here