| Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your | | | | feelings. See whether you can tune in to the |
| senses throughly engaged as you eat? Do you | | | | place in your lower belly where your food |
| fuel your aliveness with each meal or eat to | | | | will land. Notice how empty that place |
| deaden and numb out? Do you eat foods that | | | | feels.4. Become aware of you body and notice |
| taste good in your mouth and feel good in | | | | where you might be holding tension. Notice |
| your physical body - both now and | | | | if you have shallow breathing, a tight belly, |
| later?Imagine eating in a manner that is | | | | a tense back, tight jaws, or elevated |
| passionate and filled with the pleasure of | | | | shoulders. Breathe into these areas, tune |
| being alive. What exactly would pleasurable | | | | into what you might be feeling there, and |
| eating look like? It would vary by | | | | gradually allow yourself to relax, knowing |
| individual, and perhaps even by meal. But I | | | | you are safe and supported. Place both of |
| imagine we can uncover some common themes and | | | | your feet on the ground as you prepare to |
| prototypes of pleasurable eating. I can | | | | eat.5. Allow a moment of gratitude for the |
| think of lots of times pleasure eating would | | | | energy (life) you are about to receive. We |
| be done standing up: Enjoying an ice cream | | | | deserve all of the good things life has to |
| cone while exploring a new city while on | | | | offer, without having to perform for any of |
| vacation, mingling at a party while eating | | | | them. We are deserving individuals by our |
| finger foods, and the pleasure of eating | | | | very existence. Remember your place in the |
| stadium food at sporting events. But let's | | | | cycle of life. Remember that by eating you |
| narrow down our discussion to your everyday | | | | are giving yourself life. You have this |
| indoor eating experiences. What would | | | | right to have life, to have what you want, to |
| "normal" pleasurable eating look like? I'll | | | | be supported in your life, to receive |
| write down my vision and then invite yourself | | | | pleasure, and to be connected to life. |
| to write down yours.Indoor pleasurable dining | | | | Connect with the life of the food you are |
| would involve sitting down at a table. A | | | | eating and allow yourself to have a feeling |
| table that is attractive, clean of clutter, | | | | of being grounded, of being connected to the |
| and arranged for multi-sensory dining | | | | earth, of being strong, vibrant, and |
| experience. Look through any formal dining | | | | stable.6. Utilize your senses. Before |
| magazine and you'll see many examples of | | | | eating, use your sense of vision and smell to |
| elaborate table setting ideas. The tables | | | | "connect" with the food. Take another moment |
| are set with folded napkins, fancy china, | | | | to feel the life in the food.7. Allow |
| decorative stem ware, and colorful table | | | | yourself to accept the food. Take this life |
| runners. Imagine treating yourself as an | | | | force into your own body so that it might |
| honored guest, deserving of special china, | | | | grow strong and live and help you to fulfill |
| candles, and even some flowers. You sit down | | | | your destiny. Swallow and notice if you can |
| for a few minutes to enjoy your food, taking | | | | feel your stomach receiving the food? Notice |
| a moment to say grace because you realize how | | | | if you want to rush and eat the next bite |
| blessed you are to have this abundance in | | | | before you have even finished with this one. |
| your life. Your eyes widen to accept the | | | | Inhibit this habitual response. Knowing that |
| visual pleasure of the food. You inhale, | | | | there is enough food, you may come to realize |
| bringing the aroma of the food deep into your | | | | that you don't need to hold onto to energy or |
| body. As you eat your food, you chew slowly, | | | | stored body fat. There is enough. You are |
| swallowing each mouthful before taking the | | | | worthy of having enough. You can let go and |
| next. The food begins to pleasantly fill you | | | | relax. Eat your food in freedom. For those |
| up inside. You stop eating when the | | | | of you eating in secret, allow yourself to be |
| sensations become something other than | | | | seen eating.8. Eating is a way to extract |
| pleasurable.This is just one idea of how a | | | | life sustaining energy from food. When you |
| pleasurable eating experience might look. | | | | eat, you process and absorb the forces of |
| Take a few minutes and write down your idea | | | | nature stored in your food. For example, |
| of a satisfying eating | | | | plants store light through photosynthesis. |
| experience:__________________________________ | | | | Eating food releases the energies and |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | nutrients stored in food for your body to |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | absorb. In assimilating your food, you |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | transfer life into your body.An important |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | part of exploring conscious eating is seeking |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | balance. When you start connecting with |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | food, without making any special effort to |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | change your eating, a process naturally |
| _____________________________________________ | | | | starts to take place. You'll start to desire |
| ______________CONSCIOUS RECEPTION OF FOOD | | | | foods that are abundant and alive, foods that |
| | | | give you what you really need on the deepest |
| The purpose of this exercise is to learn to | | | | level. You begin to notice that food is more |
| be mindful while eating. It is a method to | | | | than just mouth pleasure . . . there is also |
| enable us to get back in touch with our | | | | physical body pleasure. You may recognize |
| bodies. Allow yourself to try this exercise | | | | foods that drain you and better understand |
| five times in a period of several weeks, and | | | | what nourishes, satisfies, and supports you. |
| your relationship with food will begin to | | | | You learn to honor yourself and support your |
| change.1. Set aside about 10-20 minutes | | | | growth by choosing food, food experiences, |
| during which you won't be interrupted. Make | | | | thoughts, and behaviors that nourish and heal |
| sure to start the experience at a point in | | | | your |
| your day when you are hungry, but not | | | | body.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| famished. Utilize this exercise at different | | | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~Helping people let go of |
| meals.2. Choose a food (or foods) that | | | | self-destructive thoughts, emotions, and |
| appeals to you on all levels. A food that is | | | | behaviors has been the life work of Dr. |
| visually appealing. It smells good as you | | | | Annette Colby. Her fascination with the |
| inhale it. It feels good in your mouth. And | | | | power of the mind, emotions, spirituality, |
| it feels good in your body. This food may | | | | and physicality has led her to become a |
| just be something from your forbidden food | | | | leader in the field of personal growth and |
| list. Perhaps it's bread or ice cream or | | | | consciousness. She is a valued counselor, and |
| cake. Then again maybe you'll choose a | | | | an inspiring teacher, as well as an |
| wonderfully appetizing casserole or even | | | | independent writer, mentor, and guide. She |
| spinach. What matters is that this is a food | | | | is a highly sought-after trainer with a |
| you like. Prepare this food and sit down | | | | unique ability to inform and inspire |
| with it in front of you.3. Close your eyes | | | | individuals to open their hearts, love more |
| and take three deep breaths. Let your body | | | | openly, and pursue their dreams.Dr. |
| relax. Become aware of your thoughts and | | | | |