Share the Gift of Presence this Holiday Season

Dear Friend,

The practice of mindful eating is an invitation to savor our food, enjoy our meals, and come home to the present moment. Whether you are sharing a festive table with family, joining a community potluck, or enjoying a quiet cup of tea, each bite or sip can be an opportunity to cultivate peace, gratitude, and compassion—for ourselves, each other, and our planet.

As our gift to you, please enjoy this short video from our beloved Brother Phap Luu that includes the basics of the sacred practice of mindful eating and a very special guided meditation to accompany the beginning of meals or drinks.

Here are the corresponding words of this meditation for you to practice and repeat so that you can incorporate this meditation into your daily life.

First Four Mouthfuls    

With the first mouthful, I offer joy to someone
With the second mouthful, I relieve someone’s suffering
With the third mouthful, I maintain a heart of joy
With the fourth mouthful, I practice inclusiveness. 

Based in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, our Center is dedicated to supporting individuals and communities in cultivating healthy, sustainable, and compassionate ways of eating. This is reflected in our department’s research activities and collaborations, including our contributions to the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems.

This global science update provides a roadmap on how to feed everyone healthy food without devastating the planet, while also making the food system more just. Please take moment to explore some highlights of the study as well as the full report.

May this season be a time to truly taste our lives—to honor the many beings and conditions that make each meal possible, and to nourish not only our bodies, but also our joy, our clarity, and our love.

With warm wishes for a peaceful and mindful holiday season,

Dr. Walter C. Willett and team