Mindfulness and savoring 79 eyes. Notice its texture. Is it smooth or rough? If it has been cut or broken, look at this edge. What can you see? Turn it around and look at it from all sides. What do you notice? Next use your sense of smell. Give it a good long sniff. What do you notice? Does it have a weak or strong smell? How would you describe its qualities? Now bite off a piece and place it in your mouth. Notice how your hand knows exactly how to bring food to your mouth. What is the feeling against your lips as you bite it off to put it in your mouth? Are you salivating? Do you need to lick your lips to deal with crumbs? Don’ t chew it just yet. Just let it sit there on your tongue. What do you notice? Does it start to melt? Are some flavors coming through? You want to chew it, don’ t you? Okay, so chew it. Is it soft and crumbly or does it have a bit of rebound to it? Notice the flavors being released as you break it down. How many different flavors are there? Where do you taste them on your tongue? We have considered sight, feel, smell and taste. The remaining sense is hearing. Listen as you chew – what is the sound of chewing your forbidden food? Focus on this sound. It is the sound of pleasure. Now, let’ s really get amongst it – chew it up. Allow the full taste unload from the food. Notice how your tongue moves it around in your mouth to help you break it up. Savor the flavors as they are released. Enjoy it. This is what eating is all about. How good is it? Now as we start to swallow be aware of two things. One, the sensation of swallowing, the complex coordination of the muscles in your throat; two, the fact that as you swallow the food the taste experience reduces dramatically! This is why we must not swallow food that we have not fully savored and appreciated. We have no taste buds in our stomach! Now finish it off – SLOWLY. Pause between each mouthful to take it in with your eyes. Make the most of it. Each mouthful is a piece of heaven – rich and yummy. Remember, once you finish, it is back to the real world, the mundane world of day-to-day life – so let’ s not rush it! Did you get it? Was that a little different from how you normally eat your favorite food? If‘ yes’ great – you now know how to savor. If‘ no’