Day One: Awareness of Thoughts

There are numerous ways to approach eating mindfully. There are also many different degrees of mindful awareness. It is a life long process that leads to deeper and deeper levels of awareness. For those just beginning, it is nice to know that what matters most is intention. If it is your intention to become more mindful, if you are taken by the path of greater awareness and insight, then welcome to the journey.

Mindful eating derives directly from mindfulness practice. Mindfulness involves the toning down of lively mind states so that we might approach life fresh, with an open heart and alert mind.

When you approach eating from this place of an open heart and alert mind, you will find that your eating habits shift and eating becomes more natural, healthier, and balanced.

Exercise for Day 1: Expanding Awareness by Observing Thoughts
This morning I entered the kitchen and began looking for something to eat. I let my mind wander as I looked over all the possibilities. Drawn to different items, I let go of any judgments of what I should eat versus what I should avoid. But, I was aware of the fact that thoughs and judgments were filling my mind. "Don't eat that, it will fill you up." "Eat that, it's healthy." "Skip that, you don't need the calories." "That's going to go bad, so better have it today."

These are the types of thoughts that so often fill our mind as we make day to day decisions. They are neither good nor bad. They simply are what arise in our minds. But, rather than blindly and automatically accept and act on them, today's exercise is to merely watch these thoughts. What I eat is not important for today is all about observing the arising and passing away of thoughts about food.

At lunchtime I went to a nearby park to practice yoga. There is a beautiful gazebo-like structure jutting out into a picturesque lake. Under the white wood with a warm but delightful breeze blowing off the lake and flowing around my body, I began with the yoga asanas, or positions. Midway though a posture, a fleeting thought of the juice in my car came and went. I'm not sure I was even thirsty. Where did that thought come from? And where did it go. In the past, I might have instinctively wrapped up my yoga practice and headed for the car for the drink -- mindlessly unaware of the power of the passing thought that caught hold of me and swept me away from the moment. Instead, I watched the thought pass and smiled as it floated out over the waves gently lapping against the shore.