Mindfulness in This Moment: An Introduction to Mindful Eating

On Monday, August 18, we welcomed participants from across time zones for a free Mindfulness in This Moment session exploring the practice of Mindful Eating. In just 30 minutes together, we discovered how small shifts in awareness can transform not only how we eat, but how we relate to ourselves.

Arriving in the Moment

We began with a short grounding practice, inviting attention to the feet, seat, and hands. This simple exercise reminded us that presence does not require hours of meditation. Even a few mindful breaths can help us arrive.

What Is Mindful Eating?

From there, we explored the heart of Mindful Eating: noticing not just what we eat, but how we eat. In a culture where meals are often rushed, distracted, or on autopilot, Mindful Eating offers another way: one of slowing down, tasting, and honoring the body’s signals of hunger and fullness.

 Highlights from the Session

• The Nine Types of Hunger: We learned that hunger isn’t only about an empty stomach. Eye hunger (seeing something delicious), nose hunger (smelling fresh bread), mind hunger (diet culture “shoulds”), and heart hunger (emotional eating) all play a role in how we nourish ourselves.

• Stress and the Escape Route: Stress often shapes our eating habits. Food can become a quick refuge, but mindfulness opens space to ask: what do I truly need right now?

• Practical Tools: Simple practices like taking a breath before eating, putting down utensils between bites, or eating without devices (even for the first few minutes) can bring more awareness to mealtimes.

A Practice of Nourishment

The session closed with a reminder that Mindful Eating is not about rules or restrictions. Instead, it’s about cultivating awareness, compassion, and gratitude. Even a single mindful bite can shift our relationship with food and with ourselves.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us for this introduction and look forward to continuing the journey together in future sessions and courses.

Learn more about the course "Mindful Eating"