Taste and Mindfulness is our topic today. Hot weather and ice-cream
go hand in hand. Thinking about ice-cream takes me back to my childhood,
growing up on the farm when we got an ice-cream freezer. This ice-cream
making machine was great
because we already had fresh milk, fresh cream and fresh eggs. My mom
would make up the recipe and my dad would get ice to put in the machine
with some salt, which would lower the temperature of the ice.

My
four brothers and I would be watching and waiting impatiently, crowded
around the kitchen table watching this machine magically make homemade
ice-cream. We could barely wait until it was time to stop the machine and
look inside. Would it be ready? Or would we have to put the lid back on
and let it churn a little longer? By the time the ice-cream was ready
it felt like Christmas morning. We were all ready with bowls and spoons
each one of us wanted to be the first to 'dig in'.

Suddenly -
BRAIN FREEZE!!! You had to be really careful or you would experience
the powerful, painful sensation of brain freeze. The delicious flavour
combined with the exciting ice-cream making experience, then coupled
with brain freeze seemed to etch this experience into my mind forever.
This
was a mindful experience. Once that ice-cream hit my taste buds, I
didn't think about anything else. Except for the brain freeze of course.
Flavours can be a great way to experience mindfulness because we can
slow down, think about the flavour experienced when the food first
touches the tongue. Think about the sweetness, the creaminess and the
richness. By focusing on all these sensations, you are being mindful.
You are thinking of nothing else at that particular time.

Taste
is a powerful sensation and is linked to smell. Many times we enjoy the
smell of the food before we experience the taste. Take your time.
Savour the smells, savour the flavour. Savour the moment you first
experience the flavour.

This form of
mindfulness will open you up to a deeper understanding of what
mindfulness really is. You will then translate the mindfulness you
experience with taste, over to the mindfulness you experience with the
other senses.

That is the reason I
separated mindfulness experiences for children into the categories of
see, hear, smell, taste and touch in the book mentioned below. The book
includes specific mindfulness activities you can do with your children.
After doing the included exercises, you'll think of your own to do.

Making
the decision to be truly mindful and focusing on taste when you eat is
the first step to mindful eating. If you're anything like me, you'll
begin to eat less and enjoy food more.
Quotes:Mindfulness of the body is the awareness of the taste and smell of this moment. - Steve HagenTaste, smell and enjoy the present moment. - Bruce Langford
Books:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung
Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink
Thank You Bonus:
Would
you like to help your children become more mindful? Most children are
naturally mindful already but they need to hear from adults that it's OK
to live in the moment.  You will experience laughs, serious moments and
enjoy new-found connections as you interact with your child using the
innovative, yet simple techniques found in this book.
Download it for free right here:

21 Ways To Practice Mindfulness With Your Child Every Day For 7 Minutes by Bruce Langford