COMPASSION 212 Summer 2022

Summer 2022 - Compassion | www.tcf.org.uk 22 Chocolate I was reading that great book ‘Mindfulness’ by Mark Williams and Danny Penman and came across the meditation on chocolate, so of course I had to try it. A good excuse to pop a bar of chocolate on my shopping list. So, if you’re ready, I’m going to try it out on you. Well, before we start, you need to go out and buy some chocolate. Choose one you’ve not tried before, or at least haven’t eaten recently. Ready? Right… Here we go: • Open the packet and give a good sniff. Smell the chocolate, let it fill your nostrils. • Break off a piece, no, don’t put it in your mouth yet! Take a good look at it, examine it, let your eyes feast on it. • Pop it in your mouth (that’s the easy bit) • Hold it on your tongue and let it melt (don’t suck it) • Concentrate on the chocolate. If you find your mind wandering, notice where it went, then gently bring it back to the present moment. • When the chocolate has completely melted, swallow it very slowly and deliberately. Let it trickle deliciously down your throat. • Do this all over again with the next piece. How do you feel? Did the chocolate taste better than if you’d eaten it at your usual pace? Taken from Mark Williams and Danny Penman’s book, ‘ Mindfulness, a Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World’ . Do read it; I find it a very useful book! Editor