Years ago, a friend of mine and I were having dinner at a local restaurant,. As we waited for our meals to arrive, we began to talk about life… specifically, the idea of savouring it… noticing the little things and really enjoying them.
All these years later, I can still hear his voice. As I dug into my Fettuccine Alfredo, he asked me: “Are you tasting that? Really tasting that?” I had to admit that I was eating it, but I wasn’t closing my eyes to savour it.
His question really made me stop and think.
These days they call it “mindful eating”. And one of the fathers of mindful eating is a Vietnamese monk and Zen Master known worldwide as Thich Nhat Hanh. If you want to know more about noticing what you eat and how to savour it, he’s your man.
So what’s the secret? According to TNH, it’s being fully present in the moment. The more present we are, the more we can focus on the texture, taste and smell of our food. The more we focus, the more we appreciate… and ultimately, the more we savour.
How do we become fully present in the moment? That’s easy. By letting go… letting go of our thoughts about the past and the future when we sit down at the table… and focusing on the only moment we ever really have: Now.
Talk about an idea to savour.
