Reply To: Exercise 2: Three Raisins
3 Raisins Exercise Reflection:
I used small chopped up pieces of apple for my ‘raisins’. For the first piece, I visually inspected the fruit and then smelled it. It was a tart smell, but when I popped the fruit in my mouth, I didn’t taste much – it was kind of bland. I noticed that there were more fragments and textures I had to sweep up before moving onto the next piece of fruit. I noticed myself reaching for the second piece of fruit before noting that I had cleared all the fragments of the first piece. This time, I visually inspected size, shape, smell of tartness, and dropped it on my cutting board. I also placed it in the palm of my hand and ran my fingers around the fruit before eating it. This time around, I tasted the tartness and noticed how texture outlived the flavor. I took a longer time with the last piece of fruit, dropping it on the cutting board a few times, tossing it this way and that. I inspected the color difference between the fruit on the inside and the peel of the apple, the pattern of the color on the apple’s skin, and how where the fruit touched the peel, the color varied yet a little bit more. It smelled similar as the other pieces of fruit, tangy with a sweet note. This time, the fruit tasted the best, and the flavor seemed to be more vibrant. Still, the texture and interaction with the fragments seemed to outlast the flavor of the fruit.
Directed reflection questions:
What did you observe about your senses and attention?
As I was going through the exercise and reviewing the senses I could use to observe the fruit, I noticed that systematically going through my senses helped me to more methodically observe the fruit and find more things to notice. Where I placed my attention is where my energy went and focus went – especially going from not tasting the fruit to being able to enjoy the full flavor from a small piece of it.
What did you observe about your ability to focus?
With attention and practice, my ability to focus increased and expanded. I was able to focus wholly on the exercise and not sense the passing of time, even though I had plenty of time. My focus and attention seemed to amplify my senses and heighten my experience of the exercise.
Where and how might you apply your experience in the rest of your life?
I think enjoyment is often clouded by a sense of being rushed in time. Giving pause and taking time to experience and be present seems to add so much more color and detail. First thing that comes to mind is in experiencing food. I do love food, and I also tend to eat quickly. I notice that my quantity and speed of eating are related to feelings of safety and security. It used to be frequent that I would consume so much and so quickly that I would have physical pain and discomfort. An unhappy experience, and yet, a habit I couldn’t conquer. When I remind myself of truths, such as, I’ll always have access to food, or I can stop eating when I am thoroughly enjoying something and craving more rather than needing to feel stuffed to stop, I tend to enjoy my time more. I tend to then eat less, and my feelings of tension fall away. Other things that come to mind are relationships – loved ones, children, etc. So often I listen to respond rather than listen to comprehend. I can definitely do more to understand someone better and be more present.