At first glance the Chocolate Meditation sounds a little frivolous and self-indulgent. While it is certainly enjoyable, it also has a deeper value. It helps you reconnect with your senses, which is of vital importance in our fast-paced and frantic world. Connecting with your senses is one of the core benefits of Mindfulness meditation so anything that aids this process is of immense value.

The How to:

Choose some chocolate – either a type that you’ve never tried before or one that you have not eaten recently. It might be dark and flavoursome, organic or fair-trade or, perhaps, cheap and trashy. The important thing is to choose a type you wouldn’t normally eat or that you consume only rarely.

Here goes:

·     Open the packet. Inhale the aroma. Let it sweep over you.

·     Break off a piece and look at it. Really let your eyes drink in what it looks like, examining every nook and cranny. Notice how the mouth and body starts to feel in anticipation of what you are exploring. 

·     Pop it in your mouth. Just hold it in your mouth, feel the weight of it on your tongue. Explore the shape and texture of this object. See if it’s possible to hold it on your tongue and just let it melt, noticing any tendency to suck at it or chew it. Chocolate has over 300 different flavours. See if you can sense some of them.

·     If you notice your mind wandering while you do this, simply notice where it went, then gently escort it back to the present moment.

·     After the chocolate has completely melted, swallow it very slowly and deliberately. Feel it moving down your throat and you swallow. Notice any other sensations in your mouth or stomach as you do this. 

·     Repeat this with one other piece if desired.

Review the experience:

How do you feel? Is it different from normal? Did the chocolate taste better than if you’d just eaten it at a normal breakneck pace? Do you feel fuller that normal, more satisfied?