Practice Savoring…

In Monday mindfulness practice last night, we focused on the art of savoring with our props of a tasty treat. It turns out that the simple act of savoring deliciousness is a delightful way to cultivate mindfulness!

All that is required, as a start, is to engage your present moment attention enough to notice and then fully appreciate the sweetness of the moment, pausing long enough to absorb all that it offers. We can step into this practice of savoring any time, or often even, during our regular daily activity.

I am especially drawn to savoring at this time of year, as the season shifts more noticeably from summer to fall, here in my corner of the planet on the coast of Maine. I notice a certain nostalgia, or even a tinge of grief, that the summer is now receding. That melancholy, however, serves to nudge me forward toward more moments of noticing and pausing to savor – the sun’s warmth, another swim, the symphony of crickets, the gathering birds, or another meal enjoyed outdoors and centered with local farm offerings – corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes and now the emergence of fresh apples. Each a precious moment of deliciousness that might be the last until next year. So much savoring!

If it isn’t already enough to simply direct one’s full attention to the delights of the season, it turns out that research supports more savoring! As published in Positive Psychology, some of the benefits of practicing mindful savoring include: boosting happiness, increasing levels of positive affect and self-esteem, increasing levels of life satisfaction, increased happiness in adolescents and older adults, counterbalancing experiences of unpleasant emotions during stressful events, decreasing depressive symptoms and cultivating the ability to wholeheartedly respond to someone else’s positive experience.

There are many ways to practice mindful savoring, some focusing on present moment attention, some focusing on reminiscing and some envisioning future experiences. I invite you to try a bit of present moment savoring – pausing to give your full attention to a particularly delightful moment in your day. You might try focusing each of your senses to deepen the experience – giving your full attention to look at, listen to, smell, taste or touch this singular moment of deliciousness in your day. Enjoy the exploration!

Come join me every Monday evening for a friendly supportive Mindfulness practice – 7pm EST (6:30pm for seated gentle movement) – live on Zoom, by donation. All are welcome! Contact me FMI. ✨🙏✨