(Photo credit: jackmac34 on Pixabay)

Did you ever gulp down a meal and not notice how it tasted? We all get busy sometimes, and often I eat without enjoying my food, or even tasting it. If you want to try meditation and develop a new appreciate for food, take three minutes for this Taste Meditation.

I selected chocolate for my taste meditation and the chocolaty deliciousness amazed me. Next, I had to try it with a caramel, then pomegranate seeds and finally a barbecue potato chip (my favorite indulgence). I wanted to skip the meditation and gobble up the whole bag of chips, but I made myself behave.

Taste meditation made me realize how much I missed when gulping food.

You can record the meditation script (below) using your phone or computer and play it back so you can enjoy the experience by yourself. Alternately, have a friend or family member read the script while you do the meditation, then trade places.

Candy or Fruit Meditation Script

(Photo by Isabell Winter)

Select a piece of soft candy, like a chocolate, a caramel, a jellybean; or alternately, a piece of fruit. Bring your item to a comfortable sitting location. Choose a chair or cushion or somewhere comfortable to sit.

As you sit unwrap your item, if needed. Hold your candy or fruit loosely in your hand and allow your body to relax. Feel the support of the earth on your body.

Close your eyes. Bring your attention inward and focus on your breath. Breathe slowly in and out, in and out, in and out. Allow your body to relax more with each breath.

Now, bring your attention to your candy or fruit. Feel the weight in your hand. Is it smooth or textured? Soft or firm?

Open your eyes and notice your item’s shape and color. Are there any markings or textures?

You may feel tempted to devour your item but resist this urge. Slowly bring your item up to your nose. Is there a smell? If there is an aroma, sit for a few moments and appreciate it. This may increase your cravings but you’re strong.

Bring the candy or fruit to your mouth and take a small bite, but don’t swallow. What flavor do you taste? Explore the item with your tongue.

Let your item melt in your mouth or chew it. Does the taste change as your item moves around in your mouth? How do you feel? What other sensations are there?

Notice any memories this experience brings up in your mind. Take a moment to appreciate them.

Swallow the item and notice any new sensations. Next, place the remaining candy or fruit in your mouth. Appreciate the tastes and sensations as you explore it.

When you’re ready, swallow the food. Notice any lingering tastes and any feelings you might have.

Next, bring your attention back to your breath. Do you feel different than when you began the meditation?

Slowly bring your awareness back to the room. Notice any sounds you might hear. Feel your body sitting, and notice the support of the earth underneath you.

When you feel ready, open your eyes.

End of script.

Skeptical me had thought meditation a bit “out there”, but I wanted to try a variety of happiness practices. Taste meditation sounded interesting and easy, and had a short time commitment. Plus, how could I go wrong eating chocolate?

It surprised me how much I enjoyed my taste meditation experience. Slowing down the eating process skyrocketed my enjoyment, and I noticed more sensations than when I gobbled down food.

Also many food items seemed to taste better after this meditation, probably because I was taking time to enjoy them. Plus, I started closing my eyes to savor special tastes. I appreciate and savor food more now.

I loved my taste of meditation and wanted more. I tried other meditations, and I confess … I enjoyed them all — even my group meditation session. I had thought we would meditate for a few minutes and spend most of the hour talking about our experience.

Wrong!

When the moderator announced we would be meditating for 40 minutes I thought I might die.

How would fidgety me survive sitting still for so long? Surprise … I loved it.

So if a jaded, moldy-oldie like me loves meditation, you might too. I wrote this script for people wanting to try meditation or for those needing a relaxing break, or for anyone wanting to savor food, or boost happiness. If this applies to you, consider trying this tasty experiment.

What do you think about trying meditation?

Please comment, like and share because human connection means everything to me.

I took 10 years to journey from hell to HappySpree.  I wish I’d done it sooner, but a marital blizzard engulfed me.  I publically smiled my frosty smile, while my soul froze from icy words.

Sadly comparing my insides to other people’s outsides created false paths lined with empty-calorie foods, alcohol, and sleeping pills. These left me hating myself in the morning.

I naively thought our kids couldn’t hear us storming upstairs behind closed doors. But then one day I opened the door…

My eyes sting as I picture my kids huddled together on the stairs swatting away tears. This sharpened my focus.  We needed a happier path.

I tried saving my marriage with counseling, talking, pleading, and eventually screaming and crying.  Nothing helped.  My husband is a good person, but we stumbled into a toxic marriage.  I needed to end my marriage and model a happier life for my kids. But how?

Naively I had left a promising technology career 18 years earlier to raise our kids and support my husband’s career. Now the thought of returning to the workforce and supporting us terrified me, but I couldn’t let these fears stop my journey.

Could I create a happy path with stepstones of peace, love, and happiness?

I took my first step into a hopeful future and filed for divorce.  Next, I found Frank Clayton  and his Happiness 101 Class.  Frank taught me that happiness benefits family, relationships, health, creativity, and the workplace, and this knowledge made me eager to become happier.  As my divorce proceeded, Frank suggested “stop making messes and fix old messes.”   Thank you for the reality check.

Also a weekly support group helped me process my stormy emotions ( email me  for more info).  I discovered I needed make amends, but would anyone forgive me?

Fixing My Messes

First I needed to forgive myself, so I ended unhealthy habits and changed my thoughts from negative to positive.  Then I focused on making amends to my family.  My ex-husband didn’t want to see me, so I emailed my apology for hurting him and I promised to stop. He didn’t accept my apology, but I stopped beating myself up mentally and felt enough peace to move forward.

Next, one-by-one, I looked deep into my kids’ eyes.  A flood of regret overwhelmed me, tempting me to run.  Instead I took a deep breath for bravery and apologized.  I promised to stop hurting my kids, and asked how to make amends.

My kids hugged me and forgave me as gratefulness swelled my heart.  This meant I could finally stop ruminating and forgive myself.

That Christmas I received the gift I always wanted … a peaceful home.

But time slooowed when without my kids (we had joint custody).  At first when my kids left, I sobbed in a puddle on the floor, felt sorry for myself, and let my emotions storm; but eventually I wanted to feel better.  I had noticed people reacted to divorce in three ways:

• Permanent anger and giving up on future love

• Languishing

• Transforming pain into a happy new life.

I hoped for the last option, but what caused resilience, or bouncing back, after difficulty?  Finding out felt critical, so I geeked-out and consulted 100+ scientific sources on happiness and well-being (email me for exhaustive list.)

Then I turned myself into a lab rat to discover what me happy.  Here are several 5-star books that helped me feel better.

• Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being
• The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want
• Positive Identities: Narrative Practices and Positive Psychology

Using my research, gratitude journaling, social connections and exercise, I transformed my emotional blizzard into a happy path.  I also discovered how to stay (mostly) happy, and why it’s unhealthy to aim for constant happiness. (More info in upcoming blog.)

People were shocked as sarcastic cynical me sparkled with happiness.  They asked:  “What the hell happened?”

When I shared my struggle, people confided about depression, negative relationships, and loneliness. They wanted help finding their happy path, but how could I help them?  I recalled feeling lonely and craving happiness after my divorce.  Did other lonely people seek social connection?  I tested this by creating a community based on social opportunities and fun.

But would anyone join?

It turns out … yes!  We have 1000+ members in HappySpree Park City and HappySpree SLC and we’re growing.

This group creates happiness and social connection locally but how could I reach more people?   I noticed my teens and their friends would rather cut off their toe than lose their Snapchat streaks (the streak ends if users miss daily log-ons).  How could I use this madness for good?

I knew gratitude journals (where people list three or more positive moments per day) are scientifically-proven to boost happiness, but people get bored and stop writing.  Might gamification increase their motivation to write?

To test this idea I created a free gamified journal.  I then used my favorite lab rats, my kids and me to try it.  (I’m applying to Masters Programs to formally test this.)

My kids and I created more happy moments than usual, and sought silver linings in negatives.  Also we created more entries than with other journals, and built social connections with meaningful shares.  Ahhhhhhh my life feels much better.

Now I’m one of those crazies that say “my worst struggle created happiness!”

My hell to HappySpree ordeal taught me it’s not what happens but our choices about how we think and what we do that creates our journey, and I’m choosing a happy path.  I humbly hope the same for you.  So if you feel lonely, unloved, depressed, angry, lost; or just want to be happier, join our HappySpree community.  It’s fast, free and easy …

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