Mindfulness Of Eating
Why should “tasting” be applied only to wine? What about your bagel with a shmear or the salad from the bodega? Ideally, we would take time to taste whatever we decide to eat or drink. Presumably, we chose it because it was something that we thought would be delicious and satisfying. Yet, all too often, we race through our meal or distractedly engage in another activity, like conversation, checking e-mail, or watching T.V. In this exercise, you will pay purposeful attention to the process of eating. In 1990, I learned this practice while sharing a meal with the Zen monks at Syorinzan Daruma Temple in Japan. Click on the title above for the “pdf” file.

Mindfulness of Things
We are surrounded by objects. Typically, we gloss over the details of these objects in order to simplify an already complex world. After all, we don’t really need to notice the subtle reflections that dance across the window of the coffee shop; we just need to know that we can get our morning joe inside. Periodically however, it is helpful to take the time to become aware of such things, whether to enrich our present experience, better appreciate something “special”, or help us break our of a difficult emotion or line of thinking. Click on the title above for an exercise in becoming more mindful of household objects.

Mindfulness of Emotions
Got feelings? Of course you do. Our emotions have a profound impact on our lives. If we’re feeling anxious, then we might avoid doing something, like taking the subway. If we’re feeling happy, then we’re likely to have a good time, even waiting in line at the pharmacy. Our emotions are intrinsically (and reciprocally) linked to our thoughts and behaviors. Sometimes though, we have a hard time being able to modify–or even identify–our feelings. Click on the title above for a “pdf” version of an exercise that will help you become better aware of your emotions.