The Savor

The Savor

There is pleasure, and then there’s pleasure. There are countless delights in the world to savor and enjoy, but likewise there are countless internal satisfactions to be indulged in.

Curiously enough, when we cultivate the internal delights, they become much more satisfying.

As we move away from the life we struggle to make, and grow more comfortable with letting our life unfold, we find that we are less dependent on the pleasures outside us. It’s so weird. We can thoroughly enjoy our favorite foods and beverages, our physical and mental activities of all sorts, but the fun of those experiences pales next to the feelings we have inside.

In fact, the external stuff would be meaningless without the internal experience.

In fact, the more mindfully we approach our outside pleasures, the better they get. And the more mindfully we approach our internal pleasures, the better they get, too. Now that’s a good incentive to mindfulness if ever there was one.

Do you like chocolate? If so, get yourself one of those little squares. If not, find yourself a bite sized chunk of some other food you really like, and try this exercise:

Unwrap your chocolate, or other treat, and look at it for a few moments. See what you can see about it.

Now bring it near your nose and take a sniff. Take another one. Not too many or your nose will desensitize to the aroma. Notice what you can about the fragrance, does it have layers? Or is it simple? do you have any feelings or memories come up as you sniff?

Next, take a small nibble. Let the flavor develop on your tongue. Be aware of the texture, notice if it seems cool or warm. See if you can tell where you are tasting it the most.

Take a bite. Feel your teeth sinking into your treat. Does it snap when you bite it? Or is it creamy, or gooey? How is the chewing? Does it melt? Is your treat crunchy? Does it bring up any feelings or memories?

Lastly, finish your treat. How do you feel with the last bite? Does that have emotions associated with it? Do you want more, or was that experience sufficient for now?

Most of the people I’ve done this little snack-meditation with have said that it was the best chocolate they ever ate. How was it for you?

Slowing down inside means being mindful, noticing our internal experience as we have our external experience. Many things become more enjoyable, more satisfying or gratifying, if we take the time to experience them fully. And when we pay attention to our feelings when we feel good, we can enhance those feelings, too.

How have I changed from being oblivious to my experiences to savoring them fully?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2013 all rights reserved 03082013