Mindfulness is a state of awareness that comes from being fully immersed in the present moment. Mindful eating extends this healing practice to our food and magnifies our joy, allowing us to honor what Mother Earth has offered us. So how can we learn to do it in our everyday lives? One way is to start with small snacks like apples.
This is what Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926–January 22, 2022) teaches us with gentle guidance in his “Apple Meditation,” included in the now classic Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.
Thich Nhat Hanh writes:
Breathe in and out a few times consciously to help yourself focus and become more in touch with how you feel about the apple. … Take note: What kind of apple is it? What color is it? How does it feel in your hand? What does it smell like? Going through these thoughts, you will begin to realize that the apple is not simply a quick snack to quiet a grumbling stomach. It is something more complex, something part of a greater whole.
Then, give the apple a smile and, slowly, take a bite, and chew it. Be aware of your in-breath and out-breath a few times to help yourself concentrate solely on eating the apple: what it feels like in your mouth; what it tastes like; what it’s like to chew and swallow it. There is nothing else filling your mind as you chew — no projects, no deadlines, no worries, no “to do” list, no fears, no sorrow, no anger, no past, and no future. There is just the apple.
Chew consciously, savoring the taste of the apple and its nourishment, immersing yourself in the experience 100 percent. This way, you really appreciate the apple as it is. And as you become fully aware of eating the apple, you also become fully aware of the present moment. You become fully engaged in the here and now. Living in the moment, you can really receive what the apple offers you, and you become more alive.
When we eat mindfully, we see beyond the health benefits and pleasure an apple can provide. We see it as a manifestation of the wonderful presence of life. Thich Nhat Hanh writes:
Look deeply at the apple in your hand and you will see the farmer who tended the apple tree; the blossom that became the fruit; the fertile earth, … the sunshine, the clouds, and the rain. Without the combination of these far-reaching elements and without the help of many people, the apple would not exist.
Complement this profound way to Savor the apple with Cindy Derby’s enchanting children’s book about finding our way back to nature.
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