Mindfulness and Eating: Divine Desk Dining
Are you stuck eating lunch at your desk again?
Lucky you.
You see, staying put can be surprisingly soothing compared to making a mad dash to the cafe for a sandwich and running back to your office, all the while worried that you'll miss an important call.
If you feel chained to your desk, try viewing it instead as a powerful anchor that keeps you from drifting mindlessly.
Desk dining can be the epitome of mindlessness-or a remarkable opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy a delicious moment or two. You can choose a chug-and-chew cubicle lunch or settle in for a session of mindful mastication.
Mom always told us to slow down and chew our food properly. She was more worried about choking, indigestion and bad manners than she was about the possibility that we would grow up to be disconnected from our experience of dining.
As usual, Mom made good sense. New research indicates that becoming more mindful of every mouthful is a powerful way to reduce our food intake, increase our meal satisfaction, and savor more than just the taste of our veggie on rye.
Jean L. Kristeller, Ph.D., is professor of psychology and director of the Center for the Study of Health, Religion and Spirituality at Indiana State University. Over the last ten years, she has been working on ways to help overweight individuals develop greater awareness of their eating triggers using mindfulness meditation. Her program is being applied in a number of different settings, and the results have been quite promising.
There's even a fancy term for her technique of paying attention to what you put into your mouth-Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training, or MB-EAT for short. It's not rocket science-just a simple way to assess your needs and attend to the process of eating slowly.
Even if you don't have an eating disorder, chances are you've had more than a few meals on the go. Perhaps you are a practiced drive-and-diner, grabbing your order from the drive-thru window and perfecting your food balancing technique. More likely, you've eaten an entire lunch while simultaneously answering phones and typing out email messages-and not really tasting a single bite.
Don't curse your go-go lifestyle. Instead, choose to savor a slow-slow moment-even if it's just a two-minute yogurt break.
Your divine desk dining experience starts with a couple of deep breaths and a commitment to focusing for two-count 'em, TWO-minutes. Feel your belly, and pay attention to any hunger pangs. Check in to see if you are eating now because it's lunch time, because you are ravenous, or because you know you won't get a chance to eat for several more hours. Take note.
Then, take a bite. Put down your fork, spoon or sandwich, and simply chew your food slowly, relishing the flavors and textures, just like Mom taught you. Do this for one minute, and then pause. Feeling better now? Sometimes the simple act of chewing mindfully for just a moment can help us slow down enough to recognize that we're not that hungry.
Savor another minute of mindful mastication without getting wrapped up in thoughts of work or anything else. Come back to "just this bite" until your two minutes are up. After that, feel free to eat at your normal pace, and even if you get caught up in the type-and-swallow routine, simply note it.
We spend a lot of time and energy bemoaning our busy lives. Instead, spend two minutes tasting mindfulness right there at your desk.
It's simply divine.
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches playful and powerful eyes-wide-open ways to get calm, clear and creative. To read her free special report, "The Dirty Little Secret About Meditation" visit http://www.MayaFrost.com.
Latest News
 ABC News | Mother of US Woman Shot in Mumbai on Her Daughter's Escape FOXNews - ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: 25 people from the Synchronicity Foundation, a meditation group based in Virginia, were on a spiritual retreat in India when the ... 2 From US Meditation Group Killed Remains of 2 Nelson residents set to return from India today Mumbai survivor happy to be home with family in Los Angeles |
Omstream.com Announces Signing of NuTone Music and Their Catalog ... MarketWatch - LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec 02, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Omstream.com, the online music store that specializes in downloadable yoga music, meditation music ... |
School sees quiet gains as its students meditate Arizona Daily Star, AZ - Despite its simplicity, the practitioners report they're seeing significant benefits from Transcendental Meditation, the trademarked technique created by ... Red Clay to work early on behavior Red Clay plans alternative elementary school |
 The Associated Press | Survivors recall hotel nightmare Toronto Star, Canada - Larry Koftinoff, of Kelowna, BC, turned to meditation during hotel siege. MUMBAI–Days after they escaped the besieged Oberoi hotel, many of the surviving ... Mumbai survivor: 'There was blood everywhere' Prayers for parents visiting India answered in Kelowna |
 Ynetnews | US Jewish, meditation groups' members die in Mumbai WZTV, TN - Other Americans killed in the attacks include a man and his 13-year-old daughter from a Virginia community that promotes a form of meditation. Video: NY Rabbi, Wife Among Dead in Mumbai Raid Missions of faith end in sorrow Team of FBI investigators readies to fly to Mumbai |
Meditation 'beats antidepressants' Scotsman, United Kingdom - GROUP psychology involving Buddhist meditation can be as effective at combating depression as medication, a study published today in the Journal of ... |
Meditation Beats Drugs in Reducing Depression Relapses NewsMax.com, FL - A British study that pitted traditional Buddhist meditation against anti-depressant drugs to treat depression found that meditation prevented more relapses. ... |
 TheMedGuru | Group therapy 'beats depression' BBC News, UK - Group-taught meditation is as effective as staying on drug treatments for stopping people slipping back into depression, say UK scientists. ... Meditation 'best for depression' Meditation is 'effective medication for depression' Meditation combats depression, study finds |
Meditation Tips for Resisting Temptation Methuselah Foundation, DC - Just some background: I view the use of meditation techniques to keep from eating foods you don't truly want that don't support your health, as a process of ... Flying Egg McMuffin |
 CTV.ca | Canadian actor played dead, got new lease of life Times of India, India - A resident of Montreal, Canada, Rudder had come to Mumbai as a part of a meditation group, and hopes to get back home soon. According to officials at the ... My movie experience helped me survive: David Rudder Montreal actor describes 'Die Hard' moment in Mumbai shootings Canadian actor shot three times on yogic retreat |
Resources
-
Our Ultimate Reality. Spiritual Evolution, Astral Projection, OBE, Out of Body Experiences and Astra
Information and forums for Astral Projection, Astral Travel, OBE, Out of Body Experiences,Spiritual Evolution, The Afterlife and much more
-
Yoga Meditation Techniques - Learn How to Meditate
Free Meditation techniques and yoga Meditation lessons. Learn how to meditate using various yoga Meditation techniques to reach higher transcendental states of consciousness.
-
Self-Healing Expressions - spiritual healing, new age healing, holistic health, holistic education
Self-Healing Expressions provides spiritual healing, new age gifts, guided Meditation and holistic education through courses dealing with alternative healing, new age healing, holistic health and healing prayer.
-
geostel.com
Locational Astrology, Meditation, Mysticism.
-
The Yoga of Alignment | YOFA | Meditation | Manifestation
The Yoga of Alignment, or YOFA, draws from the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, yoga Meditation, the healing philosophy of chiropractic, the system of prayer of The Science of Mind, and Dr. Rebbie Straubing
-
Mental Power Strategies
Master Secrets of Hypnosis, Chi Power ,Meditation, Attraction, & Stock Markets.
-
The most effective Meditation technique
A very effective Meditation technique: a simple remedy against stress and anxiety. Scientifically validated.
-
Yoga Weight Loss Secrets: Lose weight with yoga; yoga weight loss ebook,
exercise program
Yoga Weight Loss Secrets: yoga ebook shows you how to lose weight naturally with yoga exercises, yoga Meditation, vegetarian diet, exercise, and health tips.Yoga Weight Loss Secrets: yoga ebook shows you how to lose weight naturally with yoga exercises, y
-
Hypnosis Toronto
The official homepage of Hypnosis Toronto, counsellor referral service and Romantic Magic Meditation CDs