Read an Excerpt
Now & Now
Transformational Diaries of Present Moment Living
By Rob Ginnivan Balboa Press
Copyright © 2016 Rob Ginnivan
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5043-0173-2
CHAPTER 1
EATING
How Mindfulness Helps
The process of eating is an excellent introduction to mindfulness. Even before you put food in your mouth, taste it before you actually taste. In other words, imagine the flavours, textures and temperature on your tongue before you eat it. By being present to one chewing motion at a time, you will experience even more enjoyment in the culinary delight and find that you will probably eat less and get full quicker than normal. Furthermore, mindfully chewing each mouthful approximately fifteen times will ensure better digestion of the food being consumed. If alone when eating, this technique will allow you to fully appreciate the meal and, if eating in a group, 'mindful munching' will lend itself to a more peaceful, harmonious interaction with others around the table.
The Diary
And now, the chocolate ice cream is tantalising my tastebuds as its coolness massages my entire tongue. At the same time, the cocoa impresses on the tongue tip while its sweetness ignites the sides. A squirt of saliva is timely as it assists the delightful substance to disappear down the back of my throat and into my stomach. I can still feel its coolness inside me. In the desert bowl there are two scoops remaining. The varying shades of brown and chunky bits of chocolate reflect the light from the ceiling and a nutty smell rises from the buried broken cashews. The density of the ice cream is firm as I poke the spoon into the middle of a scoop.
Unlike other more solid foods, I am even more alert to this Presence-enhancing experience by chewing less and allowing God's cold creation to simply melt in my mouth as its temperature gradually surrenders to the heat on my tongue. The silence in this moment is overshadowed by taste sensations, causing me to make ecstatic groaning noises. I try to recreate each flavoursome moment by repetitively rubbing my tastebuds on the roof of my mouth. With an appetite for several more spoonfuls, I pace myself without any rush to end this blissful experience.
* * *
And now, I am present to the powerful spice of the Japanese wasabi root. If you want to feel a sudden arising of Presence, then smear wasabi onto a piece of sushi, dip it in soy sauce and place it upside down on your tongue and commence chewing ... At this moment, as I chew a mouthful of rice, tuna, soy sauce and wasabi, an amazing sensation overcomes me. Wham! My nostrils flare and my eyes water as this ancient ground root pasty substance sends messages to my brain to wake up and become extra alert. There is no space for thought as I quickly discover there is a fine line between pleasure and pain. A gulp of cold, refreshing water is a nice palette cleanser and I now contemplate another piece of sushi decorated with the quirky green paste. This time I allow the wasabi to touch the roof of my mouth first instead of the tongue. A delay in the spice reaction occurs and is less intense than the last.
All five senses are fully engaged in togetherness as I chew slowly and deliberately to enhance the experience. My mind dares me to place an extra pinch of wasabi in between my lips to intensify the experience. So now, with the additional kick, my nostrils start dripping clear liquid as the Japanese spice does its pipe cleaning and blood purifying job most effectively.
* * *
And now, I am present to vaporizing sensations of peppermint on each inhale through the nostrils as my teeth crunch two Fisherman's Friend branded candy pieces. The flavour on my tongue is constant and unforgiving. Each breath taken in packs the most powerful punch on the throat and lungs whilst giving rise to an intense sense of Presence. My eyes are watering, fists are clenched and the senses of taste and touch are in overdrive. The youthful disposition I possess tempts me to put another two harmless-looking white mints into my mouth to relive the previous intense adventurous taste sensation. Crushing and pulverising the confectionery suddenly gives rise to the equivalent of a fireworks show exploding onto my tongue and up into my nasal passages. The main difference from the wasabi being the ice-coolness, rather than heat.
It is fascinating to note that apart from the candy-crunching sounds, everything else is muffled due to the sense of taste in the foreground working overtime. Moment by moment as the intensity gradually subsides, I become present again to the broader surroundings. A sip of cold water soothes and chills the palette and inner cheeks with a swish or two. A long, deep inhale through the nostrils forces my eyes to open wider and puts an end to a relatively cost-effective experience.
* * *
And now, the deep purple colour and vibrancy of a freshly made berry smoothie drink is jumping out at me alongside a tall glass of bright orange, carrot and ginger juice. Yes, a liquid lunch will cleanse my temple pipes. One sip at a time alternately from each glass makes me present and grateful to these antioxidant-rich beverages that are now travelling through my physical body and igniting almost orgasmic sensations of anti-ageing and bliss.
This next mouthful of smoothie reveals the drops of sweet honey I included in the mix. And this next mouthful of juice gradually exposes my tongue to the fiery ginger spice before doing its work on the inside. Placing my hands around each glass of Godly goodness and feeling a vibrant yet subtle energy, gives rise to Presence that constantly exists in plant life even after it has been pulverised in a blender. This is one of many friendly reminders of what really matters in life here on earth.
Paying attention to the assorted berries in the smoothie, I become aware of the difference in flavours between the raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and strawberries. The texture is sometimes chewy as I negotiate a random blueberry that escaped the wrath of the blender's blade. Also each present moment is being consumed with the mild crunch between my front teeth of the tiny strawberry and blackberry seeds.
* * *
And now, having just enjoyed my mother and father's company at the Koko Black chocolatier café, I stand waiting to make payment for the coffees and hot chocolate whilst observing hundreds of varying shapes of bite size chocolate creations behind a long glass case. Nostalgia summons my inner child and my eyes widen with delight as I commence visually scanning the plethora of edible art in delicious shades of brown. On this next inhale, aromas of cocoa, cream, nuts and fruit make their way into my nostrils. I start swallowing the saliva that my glands are producing as a result of associated brain activity.
The best part about this experience is that I do not know what most of these individual ornate chocolate pieces are called. I avoid reading their small labels and instead focus on the attention to detail that makes up the content of each carefully-crafted piece. Intricate patterns and contours dress the periphery of the cocoa creations and I marvel at the mindfulness practiced by the chocolatier during the production process.
Just over there behind a glass chamber, the chocolatier dons an apron, hat and caring smile before smoothly caressing tempered liquid milk chocolate with a long silver paddle. The substance is smoothed out along a rectangular pan in preparation as the decorative layer on another darker chocolate base with half walnuts. Mmm, what an experience to savour ...
* * *
And now, sitting patiently at a sushi train restaurant, I become mesmerized in the present moment by a number of plates gliding past on parade, displaying a variety of Japanese delicacies. The purple rice wrapped around seaweed and raw salmon jumps out at me. So with chopsticks carefully poised, I clasp the heavenly piece and proceed to dip the side in soy sauce, dab it in wasabi and place it into my mouth. A slow chewing motion ensues as I savour every flavoursome experience before it disappears into my stomach.
There exists an ongoing temptation to look ahead again at the sushi train belt for another plate while I keep chewing this piece, however I choose to lower my gaze back to the plate in front of me and savour this moment. It is fascinating to note that when I look up and become distracted with the next possible plate, the chewing experience becomes diluted and less enriching. When I return my focus to the current eating experience, the flavours and textures are amplified again.
A sip of warm green tea cleanses the palette before I consider which plate to choose next. In a playful manner, I amuse myself with the experience of looking out the window onto the street while thoughts stream into my mind. Turning my head, I regard only the sushi plates passing me by right in front of my eyes as thoughts seem to dissolve and a gap of Presence appears ...
* * *
And now, my eyes scan the carefully prepared breakfast platter that is being placed on the table in the dining room. Several varieties of tropical fruit cut in juicy bite-size pieces decorate the plate. The magnificent bright colour medley of red, yellow and orange reflects the true character of fresh mango, raspberries, pineapple, plum and grapes. Firstly I taste, touch and smell the food before I place it in my mouth ... It is obvious to me that Rhonda places love, attention and creativity into the preparation of her customers' culinary delicacies. Vibrant life exists on this platter as I hold my hand just above the fruit and feel the energy of nature. The combination of mango, raspberry and plum creates a fireworks show of tanginess on my tongue, as flavours burst together in unison. And as this taste sensation begins to fade, pieces of pineapple are next in line to bring yet another wonderful experience to my temple entrance.
A time out now allows me to appreciate and savour the experience ... The light shining on the plump grapes is enough of an invitation to place one at a time into my mouth and slowly chew another fabulous creation of nature. The nutritional goodness can now be felt in parts of my body as digestion of this juicy, sweet food is well underway and feelings of euphoria emerge from within.
* * *
And now, delicately peeling the skin from a banana exposes a potassium-packed piece of white fleshy fruit. As I observe its texture and smell the flavour, the wonderment of so much goodness in one of God's great creations dawns on me. My mind marvels at its multipurpose function as a meal of its own, an energy booster, an ingredient for a cake, smoothie and so on.
The first bite has my teeth effortlessly sever the top as I gradually mash the mouthful against my tongue. Sensations of fructose sweetness emerge in this moment. An enjoyable experience is in full swing as the banana's smooth and gentle texture and flavour circulate from teeth to palette to tongue. Due to its soft consistency melting with each slow chewing motion, the opportunity to take another bite of the fruit presents itself quicker than munching on other more dense and solid fruits. Suddenly a nostalgic memory arises. A flashback of when my mother took a tray of golden brown banana cupcakes out of the oven, fresh and steaming. The temptation to eat it immediately left my tongue scalded with its heat.
And in this present moment I can feel my kidneys getting up and dancing the lambada due to the banana's potent potassium nutritional rich content.
* * *
And now, creamy cool natural Greek yoghurt is being spooned into a bowl, juicy plump walnuts are being hand-crushed and sprinkled on top, followed by a drizzle of runny honey to complete the mid-afternoon snack. I mindfully fold the nuts and golden honey into the yoghurt and observe the ingredients blending together as the colours and textures unite. The first mouthful is nothing short of spectacular, as its vibrant smell intensifies on approach. The soft crunch of broken walnut pieces complements the cooling light yoghurt overlayed with the perfect sweetness of honey.
Moments go by without words or thoughts before my stomach starts acknowledging and appreciating the goodness of this superfood concoction. Spoonful after spoonful enters my temple until there are only smears left at the bottom of the bowl. The mind starts chattering and invites me to make a second helping of this divine snack. I decide to resist its temptation, focus on the next inhale and exhale of breath, and simply rest in awareness whilst cherishing the lingering flavours and contemplating the nutritional wonder of elegant sufficiency having just been consumed.
The mind makes another attempt via my rumbling stomach to help myself to another serving of yoghurt. Amused at its potential persuasion and justification, I smile and continue to rest in Being before excusing myself from the vicinity of its ingredients.
* * *
And now, feeling suddenly peckish in the middle of the afternoon even though I have eaten a hearty breakfast and lunch, I ponder and reflect on why it is that my stomach and brain are conspiring to put more food in my physical system. The more I consider the reasons why and why not my body would require anything solid to enter the mouth, the less hungry I am actually feeling. It is interesting to observe that the initial signal from the mind to the brain was a craving for something sweet to eat. Maybe I have been resting in the stillness of a gap between thoughts for so long that the mind got bored and needed to create a distraction.
Situated now near a café that offers all sorts of delicacies entices me to confront the challenging mind and approach the café centre to simply look at what is on offer, exercise willpower, resist temptation and only order a calorie-free black coffee.
With steaming cup in hand, I waltz contently out of the establishment. I smell its aroma, feel the warmth and take the first sip. The further away geographically I become from the café, the more the original food temptation fades. Eventually it dissolves entirely. In my thoughts, words from the song 'Out of Mind Out of Sight' appear.
I smile.
Mindlessness
I remember the days when I used to mindlessly stuff my mouth with food just for the sake of filling my stomach up as quickly as possible so I could move on to the next task on my To Do list. Whilst I was taking fewer than five chews before prematurely swallowing a mouthful, I would be thinking unnecessarily about where I had to be straight after eating. Sometimes I would eat in the car while driving, with a mobile phone cradled under one ear, and talking at the same time in a muffled fashion. It is no wonder, therefore, that I would say to myself later in the day, "Did I have lunch today?" or, "Did I eat anything for breakfast?" This kind of eating without paying attention to the ritual also used to lead to indigestion, burping and heartburn. For me food was simply for survival rather than enjoyment.
Techniques to apply
And now, take a moment to consciously enjoy the next meal by paying attention to one mouthful at a time and the textures, flavours, colours, sensations and temperature that each bite involves. Chew slowly and cherish the freshness of the ingredients. Perhaps gather a few friends or family members together and announce that you are going to have some fun by creating a 'mindful meal' or 'soulful foods' experience for everyone. Encourage those at the table to take this new approach to eating, guaranteed to enhance the wellness of mind, body and soul.
CHAPTER 2
WORKING
How Mindfulness Helps
By adopting a mindfulness practice throughout the day and simply being present to each moment, working can take on a whole new meaning. Tasks that were previously difficult to perform may now be less onerous and easier to manage. And what was perceived as boring and mundane in nature can become more interesting. There is something about being attentive to the task at hand, because time takes on a whole new meaning and seems to pass by effortlessly. You could even find that eventually when being constantly mindful becomes second nature, a paradigm shift could occur and 'working' becomes such a breeze that it might be viewed with a new set of eyes as 'playing'.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Now & Now by Rob Ginnivan. Copyright © 2016 Rob Ginnivan. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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