One of the most pleasurable forms of meditation! Choose a piece of chocolate preferably dark) that you have never tried before or one that you haven’t eaten recently. Allow at least 15 to 20 minutes for this meditation. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body. Open the wrapper. Inhale the aroma. Let it sweep over you. Break off a piece and look at it. Let your eyes take in what it looks like, examining every part of it. Place it in your mouth. See if it’s possible to hold it on your tongue and let it melt, experiencing the sensations in your mouth. Chocolate has over 300 different flavors. See if you can sense some of them. If other thoughts come into your mind during the meditation, gently refocus your attention back to the present moment. Once the chocolate has completely melted, swallow it very slowly and deliberately. Allow it to trickle down your throat. Repeat this procedure with the next piece. Write down how you felt. Was it different than normal? Did the chocolate taste better than it would have if you had eaten it in your normal way? After the chocolate meditation, try directing the same quality of attention to other aspects of your life. Try practicing this mindfulness meditation while drinking tea, brushing your teeth, or even loading the dishwasher. ~ Kabat-Zinn & Davison, 2011 |