Mindfully eating and breathing should not lead to choking

I frequently get questions from people who worry that focusing on breathing while eating could cause choking.

I can tell you that it has never happened to me while practicing mindful eating.

The only time I might choke is when my mind is neither on my breath nor on what I'm eating.

Choking while eating usually happens when you are not relaxed; either eating too fast, laughing or remembering something that makes you gasp.

You might choke when, while eating, you are listening to the news, remembering a bad incident that happened in the past or might happen in the future; or when thinking thoughts of anger, regret, resentment, fear, guilt, shame, blame, worry, frustration, hurt, bitterness, hatred, nervousness or envy.

So what do I do when these thoughts arise? I replace them with positive thoughts.

I remember holding my baby nephew, Faris. I remember a warm and loving smile from a very dear friend. I remember fun moments with my family. Then, I turn my attention back to the food I am eating.

As for swallowing while inhaling, it is unlikely to happen when you are mindful because mindfulness elicits relaxation.

Remember, eating should be a natural process. We instinctively know when to breathe and when to swallow. We learned it when we were babies. Mindfulness only makes us aware of it and awareness reduces the chances of choking.

If you don't have the time or presence to be mindful during the whole meal, just be mindful while swallowing, because that is when you sense of smell influences your sense of taste.

Inhale before swallowing and exhale after swallowing. Breathe continuously while chewing.

All breathing should be through your nose unless you are congested. To be honest, I never had allergy problems, so I can't comment on how to deal with them.