Chocolate Minfulness Meditation

Free Chocolate Mindfulness Meditation

A Delicious Way to Practise Mindfulness

The Chocolate Meditation is a simple and enjoyable way to practise Mindfulness that can be done anywhere, anytime, with a small piece of chocolate. It is a form of mindful eating that focuses on the experience of eating chocolate.

Focusing on the whole process of eating chocolate allows you to notice the difference between how we usually operate and a more aware mental state. The more aware state, also called ‘being mode’, allows you to achieve two important things:

  1. To be present in your life for the good things you are experiencing, like eating yummy chocolate or enjoying your time with family and friends;
  2. To be aware of unhelpful thoughts and emotions and choose how you react to them.

The main benefit is that you can cope with stress, anxiety, low mood and the challenges of everyday life more skilfully. This can be achieved through regularly practising Mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of awareness in which you become fully present in the current moment. It involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in a non-reactive and judgemental way. Psychologists often recommend and teach the practice of Mindfulness to their clients as it is shown to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing. Practising Mindfulness can help you to:

  • be more accepting of yourself and deal with situations more calmly and effectively;
  • be less worried, irritable, upset, and overworked;
  • be more productive at work – producing better outcomes while feeling more energised;
  • take better care of yourself – more time for self-care and less beating up yourself for things that aren’t perfect or better;
  • be more present for the good moments in your life, such as time with family, noticing your environment, and what your body is doing.

Mindfulness in Psychology

Mindfulness is a powerful tool for improving your mental health and wellbeing. Many psychologists teach and recommend Mindfulness to their clients as part of a comprehensive psychological treatment plan to treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Practising Mindfulness regularly allows you to better manage stress, burnout, and anxiety symptoms, boost your mood, enhance self-awareness, improve your emotion regulation skills and cope more effectively with chronic pain.

Mindfulness in Your Everyday Life

Mindfulness is often associated with meditation practices requiring time and quiet private space. People often say they don’t practise Mindfulness because they have a busy life with little or no spare time for self-care. The good news is that Mindfulness can be practised anytime throughout your day. It is, in fact, necessary to learn how to integrate Mindfulness into your daily life if you want to get all the benefits from its practice. Once you have learned how to ‘drop into awareness’ at any given moment, practising Mindfulness won’t take you any extra time from your busy schedule. You can even practise Mindfulness while at work or grocery shopping!

Self-guided Chocolate Meditation

Connecting with your senses is one of the core benefits of Chocolate Meditation. Some people use nuts or fruit to help them focus on the senses of taste, smell and touch. You can use any food for this exercise. However, I chose chocolate as it is a fun and delicious Mindfulness exercise for everybody. Unlike mindless eating, where food is consumed without much thought or awareness, the Chocolate Meditation involves slowing down and savouring each bite, paying attention to the flavours, textures, smells, and colours of the chocolate and the physical sensations of chewing and swallowing.

To learn and practise Chocolate Meditation, follow the step-by-step guide below. In addition, it provides instructions on practising chocolate meditation independently [2].

Step-by-Step Guide to Chocolate Meditation

  • Choose your chocolate

    First, choose some chocolate that you like. It can be dark and flavoursome chocolate, milk or white chocolate. It can be a type of chocolate you haven’t had or haven’t eaten recently. It might be organic, fair trade, or whatever you choose. Ideally, select smooth and high-quality chocolate.

  • Set the scene

    If possible, find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably with no or little distraction for a few minutes. Sit down and take a deep breath. Let go of any distractions or thoughts that may be pulling you away from the present moment. Bring all your attention to the present moment and the wrapped chocolate as you hold it in your hand.

  • Engage your senses

    Holding the wrapped chocolate in your hand, take a moment to appreciate its appearance. Notice the colour and texture of the wrapping and the shape of the bar of the packet. Take a moment to appreciate how it feels in your hand as if you were seeing it for the very first time.

    • Slowly unwrap the chocolate. Notice how the wrapping feels as you unfold it. Pay attention to the colours of the chocolate, its shape, texture, smell, size and appearance.
    • Slowly bring the chocolate to your nose and inhale its aroma.
    • Break a small piece of the chocolate and bring it to your mouth. Notice the texture of the chocolate as you let it slowly melt on your tongue. Notice any tendency to chew it. See if you can sense the different flavours and intensity. Notice how it feels against your tongue, the roof of your mouth, and how it tastes.
    • Take your time, and savour each moment. Focus your attention on the sensations in your mouth as the chocolate melts on your tongue. Notice any changes in taste or texture as the chocolate melts.

  • Stay in the present moment

    As the chocolate melts, focus your attention on the sensations in your mouth. If your mind starts to wander, notice where your mind went and gently bring your focus back to the present moment. Try to notice any emotions or thoughts that come up as you savour and feel the chocolate in your mouth without judgment or analysis.

  • Savour the moment

    When the chocolate is completely melted, sallow it very slowly. Take a moment to appreciate the aftertaste. Notice any lingering sensations in your mouth.

    Take a deep breath and bring your attention back to the present moment. Notice how you feel after practising chocolate meditation. Do you feel more relaxed, focused, or content? Did the chocolate taste different or better than if you’d eaten it at the normal pace?

Some people like to follow a written guide, as it allows them to go at their own pace and focus deeply on their own experience. Others may find listening to guided meditation easier, as the recorded voice provides them with guidance throughout the process. The following audio-guided chocolate meditation [1] includes gentle reminders to help you bring your attention back to the present moment if your mind wanders. Simply follow the voice and allow it to guide you through the meditation.

Audio-Guided Chocolate Meditation

The goal of Chocolate Meditation is not to indulge in the chocolate but to cultivate a deeper awareness and appreciation for the experience of eating. It can be a calming and enjoyable way to practise Mindfulness, connect with your senses and enhance the joys of daily life.

Chocolate Meditation is not only a delicious way to treat yourself. Still, it can also be a fantastic way to practise Mindfulness and rediscover the little pleasures that bring so much joy into your life while reducing stress and improving overall wellbeing. It is about bringing awareness to the mundane and routine activities in our daily life. Try this Mindfulness exercise with other daily activities, such as showering or brushing your teeth. Focusing on the present moment and engaging your senses can cultivate a sense of calm and wellbeing.

Martin Hood is a Clinical Psychologist with a proven track record in producing good outcomes for clients across a broad range of presenting problems, including stress and burnout, anxiety disorders, depression, grief, ADHD and OCD. He has a special interest in working with executives, business owners and entrepreneurs.