Eating as mindfully as we do on retreat or in a mindfulness course is not realistic for many of us, especially with families, jobs, and the myriad distractions around us. This is not to mention that our friends, family, and colleagues might not have the patience to eat with us as we take five minutes with each bite. So have some self-compassion, and consider formal mindful eating on retreat and special occasions, as well as informal mindful eating in your daily life.
What I want to offer is what I call more mindful eating, perhaps “informal” mindful eating as opposed to formal mindful eating. Especially during the stress and extra food of the holidays, that Halloween to New Year stretch when we are more likely to eat mindlessly than mindfully. Here are six simple guidelines to keep in mind to discern between mindless and (more) mindful eating, and bring our bodies and minds back together.
6 Ways to Practice Mindful Eating 1) Let your body catch up to your brainEating rapidly past full and ignoring your body’s signals vs. slowing down and stopping when your body says it’s full.
Slowing down is one of the best ways…
