Every now and then, it might not hurt to do what your mama told you -- slow down, eat a nutritious meal, chew each bite ten times and savor the flavor. That's where the Heartland Sangha's Monday Night Eating Meditation comes in. The group, which follows the teachings of the 76-year-old Vietnamese monk, peace activist and poet Thich Nhat Hanh, reminds us that, "Yes, even eating can be a practice in mindfulness!" The Eating Meditation takes place every Monday night at 6 at the mostly vegetarian Eden Alley. "It's a great opportunity for us to socialize," says Bethany Klug, of Heartland Sangha. "We're not silent, but when we talk, we try to leave behind the difficult things so our digestion will be good, and we talk about the things that cultivate happiness and joy." The Heartland Sangha, which is the local chapter of the national Community of Mindful Living, promotes the idea that mindfulness in daily life makes us more aware of our connection with all beings and the planet. "If we observe things mindfully and profoundly," Thich Nhat Hanh once said, "we find out that self is made up only of nonself elements. If we look deeply into a flower, what do we see? We also see sunshine, a cloud, the earth, minerals, the gardener, the complete cosmos." So, go ahead. Look deeply into your dinner plate.
