I just finished eating lunch. Do you know how I know that? It's not because I lovingly prepared a meal for myself...or because I savored every last delicious bite. It's because there's an empty dish next to me that shows signs of having had beef stroganoff in it. I honestly don't even remember eating it.

Has this every happened to you? You stuff something in your mouth but never really tasted it? ("What cookie?") Or the commuter's equivalent of that: you drive to the office and don't remember which route you took or whether you stopped at any traffic lights.

Sometimes our minds are so engrossed in our daily "to-do" list or a conversation we've had, that we completely tune out what we are doing in the present moment. Personally I find it a little unsettling when this happens while I'm driving. "Was that light green or did I just go through a red light?" "Did I stop at that stop sign?" Fortunately, we're so accustomed to being on autopilot that our bodies just do what they need to do, regardless of whether our mind is there or not. I don't know about you, but this doesn't seem like a good way to go through life.

But how do we push aside the distractions and stay in the present moment?

A number of years ago, I went to a weekend retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga in MA. I went alone - this was before I was a wife and mother, back when I did weekend trips just for myself – and had a wonderful, relaxing time. One of the rules at Kripalu is that breakfast (or was it lunch? one of the daily meals...) is a silent meal. Yep, no talking whatsoever. Now, for those of who are into yoga and/or meditation and have been to a place like Kripalu, this probably sounds like standard practice. No big deal. On the other hand, for many people, this might sound like an unfathomable challenge. (Yep - I can picture some people I know getting thrown out of the cafeteria in two minutes flat!) The funny thing was....it was actually an eye-opening experience. I paid attention to what I was eating – how it smelled, how the texture of the food contributed to the taste. I was present. Fully engaged in what I was eating and nothing else. I vowed that I would try to eat at least one meal in silence each day. And I did. (Because I lived alone at the time and there was no one else to talk to. Easy, right?)

Fast forward to my current life...SILENT MEAL? What's that? As Mommy to a 3-year-old, I'm lucky if I get to go to the bathroom by myself, let alone focus on a whole meal in silence. That said, I think it's time for me to start making this a priority again. It won't be every day, I know. But my lunch today reminded me that I am missing a lot of "present moments" being distracted by work and personal obligations. I deserve to be able to pay attention to what I am putting in my body. My food deserves to be noticed, not just stuffed into my piehole with no regard!

Funny, as I'm writing this I just remembered having this conversation with my husband the other day...I said, "Wouldn't it be great if there really was a pill that I could take - like in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory – where I could taste a whole meal in like 20 seconds and then not feel hungry for another 4 hours?" Sometimes I just don't want to stop what I'm doing to eat, but I know I have to fuel my body – and prevent myself from getting the "I'm hungry" headache.

Clearly, I could use some help in the "being present" category.

So who's with me? Who out there is going to try to pay TOTAL attention to their food at least once this weekend? And it doesn't have to just be food related – maybe you want to stay fully focused as you play with your kids...or take a walk in the woods. Whatever it is, dedicate yourself to really being there in the moment! And let me know how it goes.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go deliberately put an Oreo in my mouth and savor every bite of it! :-)