What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a buzzword in today's society but what does it really mean? What does it really mean to take some time for yourself?

In its simplest terms, mindfulness is the awareness of what is occurring (arising and ceasing) in the present moment.

"The awareness of what is occurring in the present moment."

What is Mindful Eating?

Awareness of the sensory phenomena occurring in the present moment with regard to the action of eating: observing the colours and shape of food (eyes), the odour/ fragrance/ bouquet (nose), the taste of food on the palate, particular herb, sweet-sour bitter salty etc (mouth), the feel of food on the palate, texture, temperature, physical sensations re swallowing, extension/ contraction movements re lifting cutlery, reaching for food drinks condiments (skin membrane/ body), sounds associated with eating, socially acceptable or otherwise (crunching sounds, background music, guests/ staff speaking), thinking as it arises when eating.

The supreme goal is to observe the “transient” nature of all of the above phenomena as it arises and ceases from moment to moment, rather than becoming lost in the “story” of the meal; the name and history of the restaurant, how you rate the staff, the source of the food from farm to fork etc.

Find Out How Mindful You Are?

There is a scale which researchers use to determine how mindful people are. It's called

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). The higher the score the more mindfulness you have in your life. Stay tuned for more tips about how to be more mindful in your everyday life.