It is a common image in the world of mindfulness. To approach the observation, peeling and eating of a tangerine becomes a practice of sensory exhilaration and mindfulness. In some sessions of training in mindfulness, raisins are passed out and the participants are urged to observe and savor them in a mindful manner. The texture of the fruit is noticed and felt with the fingers and with the tongue. The crushing of the raisins between the teeth is an exercise in explosive delight.
The same kind of mindfulness can also be present in a sexual engagement. The same focused attention given to the tangerine or the raisin can be brought to the touch of someone close. As with the tangerine and raisin, all the senses can be brought into play with deep attention and mindfulness. Mindfulness can be a way of deep intimacy and energy in anyone we touch with our senses. Mindfulness can be part of any form of awareness of our own bodies.
Tangerines and raisins invite deep attention and mindfulness. So does everyone and every thing around us.