conscious eating

How will children enjoy their food more calmly?

At lunchtime, I was finding that many students in my fourth and fifth grade class would become so excited about their games that they would eat too fast, not eat at all, or carry their food around the playground. They were not stopping to consider what their bodies needed.

When children are in a group, their way of thinking begins to predominate much more than the adult perspective. Their impulsiveness increases, their imitation becomes less thoughtful, and their self-regulation can almost disappear. A group mentality forms. They really need help from adults even more than when they are alone.

There is an ancient spiritual practice of conscious eating as a way to experience deeper states of awareness. I decided this might be a good opportunity for the children to change their habits. I told them we would all eat silently together, in the quiet classroom, before going out to play. I explained that this would be a way of becoming more aware of our own actions.

When the time came, I guided them through the experience. “Think about your body. Think about your breathing. Your body is working for you all the time, all through the day, whether you think about it or not. Think about it now just for this moment, and be thankful for how well it works.

“Now we are going to feed your body, consciously, with attention. Notice how the food looks and smells. Enjoy it even before you put it in your mouth. Then chew it slowly. Notice the many tastes in the food. See if you can notice all the tastes. Feel the texture of it. Think about it as it enters your stomach and your body begins to draw life force from it. This food is helping to keep you alive.

“Think about where the food comes from, all the different parts of it. Not just the store where it was bought, but the place where it was made, and the farm where it was grown. Think about all the people who worked to make this food which you are now eating, which is now keeping you alive. Be thankful for the work of all those people. Now let’s eat in silence, reflecting calmly about all these things.”

: : : Children can learn greater awareness through guidance and practice.