How to Eat (Mindfulness Essentials, #2)

by Thich Nhat Hanh

We can eat with care, knowing we are caretakers of our bodies, rather than their owners.

Standing in line at a grocery store or a restaurant, or waiting for the time to eat, we don’t need to waste our time. We don’t need to “wait” for one second. Instead, we can enjoy breathing in and out for our nourishment and healing. We can use that time to notice that we will soon be able to have food, and we can be happy and grateful during that time. Instead of waiting, we can generate joy.

To be truly present you need to not just turn off the television or radio in your house, you need to turn off the conversation and images in your head.

Ah, the difficult part.

I see cooking as a way to offer nourishment and care to my family and friends.

Don’t chew your worries, your fear, or your anger. If you chew your planning and your anxiety, it’s difficult to feel grateful for each piece of food. Just chew your food.

When we eat mindfully, we consume exactly what we need in order to keep our bodies, our minds, and the Earth healthy.

With each meal, we make choices that help or harm the planet. “What shall I eat today?” is a very deep question. You might want to ask yourself that question every morning. You may find that as you practice mindful eating and begin to look deeply at what you eat and drink, your desire for certain foods may change. Your happiness and that of the Earth are intertwined.

If we feel empty, we don’t need to go to the refrigerator to take things out to eat. When you eat like that it’s because there is a feeling of emptiness, loneliness, or depression inside.

We can eat in a way that doesn’t cover up suffering but acknowledges it and helps it transform. You may even smile to your own suffering, because suffering has a role to play in helping us transform. Awareness of suffering plays a very important role in helping us to understand suffering and generate the energy of compassion.