Lesson 4. Mindful Tasting

Guided Breathing Exercise | 5:00 | Breathing in Smell and Colour

Today in our mindful breathing exercise we are going to imagine breathing in the smell and colour of certain foods.

 

Educators |

Let’s invite everyone to sit and put our mindful bodies on. Stretching your spine tall like a mountain, gently breathing in, and slowly breathing out. Feel your body and mind starting to relax now.

 

Let's begin |

• First, we are going to breathe in smell. Think of your favourite food, can you see it? Breathe in and feel your belly filling up with the smell. Then as you breathe out, let the smell fill the room.
• Now we are going to breathe in your favourite colour, can you see the colour? Breathe in and allow the colour to fill your entire body. As you breathe out imagine this filling the entire room.
• How does this colour make you feel? How does the room feel with this colour in it?
• Now let’s do this exercise two times using fun foods that we love and enjoy
• For example Hot Chocolate, Lets Breathe in the smell. Now slowly breathe out the smell of the delicious creamy hot chocolate.
• Now focus on breathing in chocolate colour, now slowly breathe out the colour.
• Here is another idea. Imagine you are at the movies and you have just bought some buttery popcorn. Let’s Breathe in the buttery smell. Now slowly breathe out the smell,
• Now breathe in the golden colour, now slowly breathe out the colour.

 

Reflection |

• Put your hand up if you could smell your favourite food?
• Was it hard or easy to breathe in your favourite colour?
• How did it make you feel breathing in the smell and colour of Hot Chocolate and Buttery Popcorn?

 

Mindful Life Lesson | 5:00 | Mindful Tasting 

Objectives: Focused attention, cognitive flexibility, metacognition, open-mindedness

 

Educators |

Today we are going to explore what it is like being mindful whilst we are tasting the food.

Mindful tasting is simply paying attention to what you are tasting without getting distracted and being 100% present with your food. We spend a lot of time in life eating but quite often forget to pause and appreciate this daily experience because we are rushing or eating in front of the TV.

Ask the class if we are going to experience what it feels like to be 100% present with our food. How can we use our 5 senses to explore what we are eating?

You may wish to write the 5 senses on a whiteboard

• Sight
• Sound
• Touch
• Smell
• Taste

Some answers may include examples such as;

• Sight - What flavours do you imagine the colours to have?
• Sound  - Can food make a sound in your mouth? Does it make a sound in your ear? What about when you bite or start to chew?
• Touch - What does your food feel like? is it smooth bumpy, soft or hard?
• Smell  - What does your food smell like?
• Taste - Is it Salty, Savory, Sweet, Sour or Bitter?

 

Mindful Life Exercise | 5:00 | Mindful Tasting

 

Materials | Gather a collection of foods in bite-size pieces, 3 different kinds, 4 if you have a large group. Examples may include grapes, cherry tomatoes, apple slices, oranges, raisins, carrot sticks, dried apple or apricot.

 

Note | 

Be aware of any food allergies in the room.

 

Educators | 

In the beginning,  tell the class to follow your instructions. No eating or putting food in your mouth until I say.

 

Let's Begin |

• We are going to pretend that we are all taste testers. They are people that test the flavour of foods to see if it tastes the way it should.
• If is ok with you, close your eyes. I am going to place a small piece of food in your hand. Hold onto it and wait for me to start.
• We are going to eat this food mindfully. We are going to teach our brains to pay attention to what we eat and how we eat.
• First, hold it in your fingers. Notice if it is soft, hard, squishy, bumpy, wet, dry, warm or cold.
• Slowly put it to your nose and take a sniff.  Is there any smell? Now take a lick! Keep your eyes closed! Notice what it feels like on your tongue.
• Now put it in your mouth, but don’t bite it yet. Just move it around your mouth with your tongue.
• Focus on how the food feels in your mouth. Is it changing melting or softening?
• Now take a little bite. Notice what it tastes like. You are a taste tester and it’s your job to really pay attention to how the food tastes. Notice whether it’s crunchy, silky soft hard hot cold scratchy wet or dry. Is it sweet, sour, salty? Chew it slowly and pay attention to how it feels in your mouth. Notice how it feels on your teeth, on your tongue.
• When you have chewed it enough, swallow it and notice how it feels sliding down your throat into your stomach. How far down does it go before you can feel it anymore? How does your mouth feel now that the food is gone? How does your stomach feel?
• Ask the students, “ What did you notice about your body as you mindfully tasted the food? What did you notice about how the food tasted. What was the food?

Then, if there is time to give the students another piece of food, and repeat the process.

 

Reflection |

• Does the food taste different when you eat mindfully?
• Is it hard to pay attention to your food only without getting distracted?

 

Mindful Life Practise | 

Over the following week practice being mindful with your food. Being aware of the colour, smell, texture and taste.

1. See if you can choose 1 mealtime in your day that you can practise mindful eating and tasting. Choose the same time each day to practise. For example Breakfast or Afternoon Tea.   
2. Notice if you can practise without getting too distracted and let's share next week.

 

Practise your Mindful Tasting Meditation, try to really imagine how it feels to have your yummiest food in your favourite restaurant

 

Guided Meditation |  9:34 | Mindful Tasting

Let students know this is their special time to relax and calm their mind and body. Invite your students to sit or lay in a comfortable position and gently close their eyes. If thoughts come and go that's ok.

 

Note sensitive children |

When asking the students to close their eyes remember some students may not feel safe. Suggest that they can focus their gaze on the floor in front of them, but it is helpful not to get distracted by looking around.

 

Let's begin | 

Isabelle’s “Mindful Tasting” Guided Meditation for Children. Imagine you are sitting in your favourite restaurant or place to eat. Take in all the colours around you, become aware of all the delightful smells floating through the air. You can feel the base of your belly softly grumbling preparing for the yummy delights that are on their way.

 

Reflection |

• Could you see your special restaurant?
• How did your special restaurant make?
• When your food arrived, what was it?

 

Mindful Game |  Guess My Favourite Food Game

Materials | Paper and pencils for each student

 

How to play |

1. Invite your students to draw or write their favourite food on a piece of paper and don't let anyone see.
2. Invite a student or the class leader to volunteer and go 1st
3. They can stand holding their piece of paper close to their chest.
4. Ask each student to now take turns in asking simple yes-no questions.
5. Some example may include, 'Is your favourite food crunchy?' Is your favourite food green?' Is your favourite food a vegetable?'
6. Students can only ask 2 questions each?
7. The students whom guesses correctly can now have a turn to stand.
8. If that student has already had a turn, that student can then select another student to stand with their piece of paper, let the class guess try and guess their favourite food :)

 

Reflection |

• Who had the healthiest favourite food?
• When was the last time you enjoyed your favourite food? 
• Was it recently?

 

Journal | PNG Format |

Educators |

Slide your students' journal to your desktop and print.