The Center for Mindful Eating

About the issue

The work environment presents many challenges to a mindful eating practice. Short break periods may require us to rush through our meal. Combining eating while working, whether during a business lunch or the increasing practice of eating at our desks, can distract us from our body’s true needs. The quality of food may not meet our needs for physical sustenance. Sometimes, such as at holiday celebrations, food can be present in such large supply that we are tempted to eat beyond satiety. In recognition of these challenges, this issue of Food for Thought addresses eating mindfully at work from multiple perspectives, including tips for individuals and recommendations for workplace supervisors to establish a more mindful eating environment.

This issue also contains the first in a series of articles exploring the philosophical roots of mindfulness. While the concept of mindfulness is common to many traditions, Buddhist texts provide many extensive, detailed instructions on how to practice it. In Foundational Teachings on Mindfulness, TCME President Lynn Rossy describes the Buddhist concept of sangha, or spiritual community. People are social beings, we live and work in communication and connection with one another. We make profound changes, such as the change to live and eat more mindfully, more readily when we have the support of others. The Buddhist idea of sangha is a human community at its most supportive and harmonious.

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