So just find a place where you can rest,
Relax and be uninterrupted just for the
next few minutes.
Shake out your shoulders,
Get comfortable in your chair
or lay down and close your eyes and just give yourself the gift of these few
minutes.
Start to focus in on your breathing.
Breathing in and out through
the nose into your belly and the sides of your ribs.
Gently begin to breathe in
for four counts and out for six counts and just bring some awareness down into
your body.
Drop into the body and be aware of any feeling sensations that are
there.
What feelings are you aware of within your body?
Can you feel any areas
of tightness,
Any internal movement?
Just keep breathing,
Relax and observe.
And
now start to bring awareness towards the level of hunger that you are currently
experiencing in the body.
Can you feel physical hunger?
Does your body need fuel?
Just let the question float inside of you and as you consider answering this
question just be aware of where your attention goes.
How do you actually work
out your level of hunger?
Where do you look in the body?
Where do you feel into?
And there's no right or wrong here.
Just notice and feel into how you are able to
check in on your physical hunger and notice any thoughts that may come up and
just observe them.
And if any thoughts are coming up for you,
Are they about
food or eating?
And if so,
What are the stories that you're telling yourself
about hunger,
About cravings,
About food?
Just take some deep breaths in and out through the nose to relax and release
any stress that may have built up.
And I'd like to invite you now to notice more deeply into what you're feeling.
What are you feeling within the body?
Where can you feel sensations?
Maybe
there's some constriction,
Some heaviness,
Some movement,
Jitteriness.
Where do you
feel these sensations?
Is it in your stomach,
Your solar plexus,
Your chest,
Your throat,
Your head?
And do these feelings have a color or a shape,
A
density maybe?
Just get closer to the feeling.
And maybe now you can give the
feeling a name.
It could be sadness,
Anxiety,
Anger,
Disgust,
Boredom,
Irritability.
And just say it out loud or in your head if you aren't able to speak
out loud.
I am feeling and whatever it is that you're feeling.
And what was happening for you just before you had the food craving,
Just
before you sat or lay down to meditate?
What was going on in your body?
What task
or activity were you about to do?
What thoughts were you having?
What was your
energy like?
Was anyone around you and if so what was their energy?
Your system was
telling you to eat that comforting food for a reason,
To move or soothe a feeling.
So what does your innate intuition know about what that was?
And it's good to
know that these feelings and thoughts will pass if you allow them to.
They
aren't dangerous to you,
It's just that it's far easier for your subconscious
mind to soothe them instantly with food rather than allow them to rise and fall.
This is a pattern that's set up many years ago at a time when it was harder
for us to feel feelings and feel safe.
But we're now safe to feel.
And how would you like to feel 10 or 15 or 20 minutes from now?
How would you
like to feel inside your body?
Maybe it's peaceful or happy,
Grounded,
Joyful.
And
how would you like to feel at the end of the day when you're getting into bed?
How
would you like to feel about your day,
The choices you made?
Just feel into that
now.
And the stories that we tell ourselves about what food will do for
us at the times that we don't actually need it for fuel,
These stories are big
and compelling.
It's my freedom,
It's my reward,
It's a way to numb,
It's my
comfort,
It's a way to stop feeling pain,
To shift a state.
But the truth is these
things are so short-lived.
The feelings underneath,
The ones that we are trying
innocently to soothe or move,
Always come back.
So I invite you now to reflect a
little bit on what might real lasting comfort look like for you.
What do you
know about the best way to show yourself real care,
Compassion,
Real comfort and
love right now?
And comfort is not numbness.
Real comfort is not just the plaster that food puts
on things.
Take a deep breath in and remind yourself that in your wisdom you
know exactly what you need.
Sometimes all we can say is that we know that we're in
a place where we need to be cared for and comforted and this old pattern,
This
old habit is not ever truly going to do that for us.
All you might be able to say
right now is that you deserve better than this.
That maybe you don't know what
you need right now but you're working on that.
So just breathe and notice what you
do know about you right now.
And notice that the moment that was happening when
you started this meditation has passed.
You're now in a different moment with
different choices,
Different opportunities and new possibilities.
This
is a new moment.
Take a deep breath and a large exhale and remind yourself that
you are enough.
That you have taken charge of this moment and you are
creating the next moment and little by little,
Step by step,
You are creating
peace with food.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and gently return to the
present moment,
Carrying this self-compassion with you as you return
into your day.
Have gratitude to yourself and thank yourself for the
time that you have spent doing this meditation.
Send yourself love.
