Savor
by Thich Nhat Hanh
Having read Living Buddha, Living Christ and skimmed Hanh’s Meditations on Mindfulness, I was pleasantly surprised by the time I finished Savor, co-written with Dr. Lilian Cheung. The practice of yoga first introduced me to the idea of living in the moment several years ago, and Thich Nhat Hanh writes compellingly about the practice. Yet I had always thought of mindfulness as a spiritual practice–a means to deepen my relationship with self, others, and the Divine.
The opening chapters of Savor were a primer on the practice of mindfulness, and I so skimmed much of them. Then followed some information about the necessity of healthful eating and exercise for weight reduction–and anyone who has gone through years of Weight Watchers as I have knows the score on that front. So it is probably safe to say that for the book’s first half I was a bit disappointed.
Until, that is, I came to Hanh’s idea of habit energy–the idea that many of our harmful eating patterns are no more than a habit, and that habit exerts an energy that often governs our behavior. The way around the habit energy of poor eating are the Seven Practices of a Mindful Eater. Now this was a little more food for thought (pun intended): honor the food, engage all six senses, serve in modest portions, savor small bites, eat slowly, don’t skip meals, and eat a plant-based diet. Pretty basic, but at least a fresh look at what I already should know. And since we’re finally entering the summer season, the idea of honoring food when I shop at the farmer’s market is easy, as is engaging all senses.
But it was the Mindful Living Plan that more fully incorporated the idea of mindfulness and made the practice … well, practical (would you believe I just now noted the root of the two words is the same?)! Hanh’s plan is composed of three components: InEating, InMoving, and InBreathing. Each of these practices incorporates the mindfulness breathing technique–“I breathe in … I breathe out …” InMoving has me walking mindfully, becoming aware of my feet and focusing on their contact with the ground–walking in the moment, no “to-do list” racing through my head. InBreathing is given the most consideration, with breathing meditations for everything from teeth brushing to emailing to traffic jams. The thought of applying mindfulness to brushing my teeth seemed both ridiculous … and sublime. Of course this is mindfulness, and at its purest.
In the end, I would recommend Savor to anyone who wants to deal with poor eating and exercise habits in a more holistic manner. Those who are familiar with the practice of mindfulness can skim through the first half of the book; those who are new to the idea will find it easy to understand and accessible.
This is my symphony 