You may sit down for dinner while thinking about work, scrolling through your phone or planning tomorrow. You may finish your meal without remembering much about it. Harvard Health suggests a simple mindfulness practice that can help you return to the moment: pay attention to the experience of eating.

The practice may sound ordinary, but it may carry a deeper spiritual idea. You can use something as simple as a meal to practise being fully present.

When you eat mindfully, you can notice the smell, texture, taste and appearance of your food instead of eating on autopilot. That shift can turn an everyday activity into a practice of awareness.

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Your next meal can become that moment. As you eat, notice where your mind goes. If you start thinking about an argument, a deadline or a message on your phone, notice it. Then return to the food in front of you.

You can treat that return as the practice.

As you eat, slow down. Taste each bite. Notice your breathing and the sensations in your body. When your mind wanders, do not criticise yourself. Simply return your attention to the meal.

Harvard's mindfulness guidance recommends this kind of repeated return to the present when your attention drifts.

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Before eating, pause for a few seconds. Think about the food in front of you and the work that brought it to your table. You do not need a formal prayer. A quiet moment of gratitude can be enough.

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