Someone invites the bell before the following food contemplations are read to the young people. (A bell is a beautiful way to signal that it’s time for mindfulness breathing. Children are asked to breathe in slowly and out slowly 3 times)
- This food is the gift of the whole universe: The earth, the sky, the rain, and the sun.
- We thank the people who have made this food, especially the farmers, the people at the market and the cooks.
- We only put on our plate as much food as we can eat.
- We want to chew the food slowly so that we can enjoy it.
- This food gives us energy to practice being more loving and understanding.
- We eat this food in order to be healthy and happy, and to love each other as a family.
After the reading someone invites the bell once more and the young people repeat the 3 breaths in and out. Then the bell is invited once more to indicate it’s okay to have the snack.
The above mindfulness lesson is from The Plum Village