This MBSR Course Is Off to a Squishy Start
The power of… raisins?
You read that correctly. :) Mindfulness can begin with the simplest of objects. In week one of my Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training, we studied a raisin. Yes, a tiny, little, unassuming raisin.
The raisin meditation
This exercise is a cornerstone of MBSR because it teaches us to approach an everyday object that we take for granted with curiosity and intention. I’ve always loved object meditations and use them frequently in my work, especially as a tool for stress relief. The fact that this object is edible takes it even further.
So this week, I found myself holding the raisin in my hand. I observed its wrinkles, its weight, and its squishiness—things I’d never paid attention to before. How did it smell? How did it sound when squished? These are things we don’t think about every day.
What consistently surprises me about mindfulness is you can always find something profound in what we otherwise consider mundane.
And, by the way, when I finally tasted the raisin, it was quite an experience. The sweetness increased like crazy with every chewing motion.
The best part about this simple practice — and the reason so many people want to explore mindfulness — is that I was switched off from all the crazy things happening in the world and on my desktop. I wasn’t thinking about my to-do list, or the silly thing I said yesterday, or the world news. I was fully immersed in a squishy, wrinkly, and sweet fruit.
The simple act of focus helps us see how we rush through life, distracted and detached from the moment.
Object meditations like this are powerful because they ground us. Whether it’s a raisin, a cup of tea, or even a favorite pen, the act of slowing down and paying attention to the tiniest of details reconnects us to our senses and our inner world.
If you’ve never tried an object meditation, I encourage you to give it a go. Pick up something small and examine it as if you’re seeing it for the first time. You might be surprised at what you discover—not just about the object, but about yourself.
Stay tuned as I continue sharing reflections from my current 8-week MBSR journey. Although mindfulness isn’t new for me, I’m seeing this course as a new journey, and this is only the beginning!
