Mindfulness Exercise: Eating a Raisin

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a day long mindfulness workshop through the Karuna School in Lincoln led by Daniel Rechtschaffen.  During this workshop, I learned some new mindfulness exercises for myself and my students, some new breathing exercises, and some new ways to engage in meditative activities even when my asthma/allergies are bothering me (and yes, they did flare up today in the middle of the workshop!)

One activity today that I got a lot out of involved a raisin.  Perhaps it was because we had been engaging in quiet activities leading up to it, but my senses seemed to be heightened, enhancing the experience.

In writing this blog entry, I debated whether or not to write about what I experienced during this activity.  Ultimately, I decided not to because I do not want to superimpose my experience for anyone who wants to try it on their own.

1.  Take two raisins-- place one in each hand.   Roll them around, feel them with your fingertips. What do they feel like?   Squish them a little bit.  How does that feel?

2.  Close your eyes.  Put the raisin up to your nose.  Really take in the smell.  What does it smell like?  Put the other raisin up to your nose.  Does it have the same smell as the first one or do they smell different?

3.  Place one raisin on your tongue. Close your mouth.  Roll it around with your tongue  and move it around your mouth.  Pay attention to the way your tongue moves.  What does it feel like?  What do you taste?


4.  Eat your raisin slowly.  Notice the way your jaw moves, your tongue moves.  What was it like to eat the raisin?  What did it taste like?  Repeat the same thing with the second raisin.  Was the experience the same?  Did the two raisins taste the same?


As I participated in this activity, I was surprised-- learned things and experienced sensations that I did not expect to.  This is an open invitation to anyone who would like to try this.  Go to your cupboards, your cabinets, your shelves, your local grocery store and open up a box of raisins and eat one as if for the first time.  Feel free to leave a comment about your experience.  I'm also curious about what this activity is like for other types of food.  If anyone tries something else, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences too.