Robin Boudette, Ph.D.

Articles by
Robin Boudette, Ph.D.

Transform Unhealthful Eating Habits

Yoga in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Mindful Eating

Stress, the
Silent Epidemic

Eating Disorders are a Peril for Vulnerable Young People

Mindful Eating

Although the practice of mindfulness meditation has enjoyed a long history in eastern spiritual traditions, it’s only recently that mindfulness has entered the world of western psychology. Mindfulness meditation is currently integrated into the treatment for physical ailments (pain disorders, cancer treatment, psoriasis) as well and psychological challenges (anxiety, depression, trauma). Practitioners are finding that the consistent and earnest practice of mindfulness meditation alleviates both physical and psychological stress-related symptoms. More recently, mindfulness has been applied to eating (Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers) and has been discovered as a powerful tool in recovering from disordered eating. 

"each one of us at any moment is capable of
being mindful" - Robin Boudette, Ph.D.

Although each one of us at any moment is capable of being mindful, this state may seem illusive. We are often much more familiar with the state of mindlessness.  Have you ever entered a room and not remembered why?  Or, have you ever eaten a plate of food only to realize that you missed the experience of eating?  These are common examples of mindlessness.  On the contrary, mindfulness is moment to moment, non-judgmental awareness, being aware of bodily sensations, thoughts and feelings in the present moment.  In our day-to-day life of multitasking and moving with great speed, this is easy to learn but hard to do. 

But, what does all this have to do with eating disorder recovery?  Imagine if you could tune into your internal signals of hunger and fullness?  How would your relationship with food be different if you were completely aware of each bite?  What if you could stop those bad body thoughts, before you started feeling really down about yourself?  The practice of mindfulness offers us a means to shift out of our automatic patterns of thinking and behaving.  With a moment of opening and clarity, we can choose a new thought or behavior and alter our habitual patterns.  In this way, mindfulness, one moment at a time, is a means to changing thoughts and behaviors.  In the spirit of the practice of mindfulness meditation, it is best learned through one’s own experience. 

1. Tune-in to your experience of hunger.  Before you eat, close your eyes and feel for the bodily sensations of hunger.  Where do your feel it? What do you feel?  Notice any thoughts you have about what you are about to eat. How are you feeling emotionally?  How are these thoughts and emotions affecting your experience of the present moment? 
2.  Have a mindful meal. Once your plate is prepared, sit down without any distractions.  Enjoy the food with your senses.  Take a moment to express gratitude for the all the steps necessary for this food to come to you.  Then, slowly and with full awareness, take your first bite.  Savor the taste, the feel of food in your mouth.  Take your time and enjoy the entire meal this way.  Notice, how does bringing mindfulness to the table change your experience of eating?
3. Chose one activity to do mindfully:  washing the dishes, walking the dog, taking a shower.  While you do that activity, focus on only that activity.  Notice all the sights, sounds, sensations.  When your mind begins jumping into thoughts, stop, pause and re-focus on the present moment.  You will find that your mind easily wonders to the past, or the present or to some personal script that plays over and over in your mind.  This is the minds natural tendency, so no need to feel frustrated.  Kindly escort your attention back into the present moment.  How does the practice of mindfulness change your experience of this activity?
4. Try mindfulness meditation.  Find a place to sit comfortably and quietly.  Close your eyes and turn your attention towards your breath.  Notice the temperature of the breath moving in and out.  Follow the river of the breath moving down into the lungs and then out again.  If you find that you are easily distracted, say, “breathing in” on the inhale and “breathing out” on the exhale.  Practice this for 15 minutes and then notice any bodily sensations, thoughts or feelings.

On the surface, this may not seem like anything “new” to you.  In a way, mindfulness is the process of becoming familiar.  Imagine being so familiar with your cravings that you could see the craving rise, recognize it and release it without having to act on it.  Or, being so familiar with the same old critical thoughts that you could see them rise and release them before they swell into an ocean of self-hatred.  Mindfulness teaches that we can allow, cravings, thoughts, or feelings to move though us like a wave, coming and going, rather then like a tidal wave, destroying our inner landscape.  while talking therapy helps to learn from the past and plan for the future, mindfulness practice offers tools to working with the present moment.  In this way, a mindfulness practice can be a powerful compliment to traditional eating disorder treatment.