This is a meditation to deal successfully with food cravings.
Many of us experience food cravings and we are biologically wired to do so.
Our brain is very quick to form habits and when there are rewards involved,
When there is excitement and pleasure involved,
Our brains have the best intentions for us and they want to form a habit because that way when you act on autopilot you will not need to think about the behaviour.
You will conserve energy and reap the reward.
Of course this can become too much of a good thing and mindfulness is all about stepping out of autopilot and gaining full awareness of our experience.
In this case gaining full awareness of the craving and what it feels like so that we can choose.
Either resist the urge or choose to give in to the urge but really experiencing it,
Really exploring it and enjoying it with all of our attention,
All of our senses.
So you might want to grab your favourite food for this,
Whether it be a chocolate bar or a packet of crisps,
Whatever it is that triggers your cravings.
So pause the recording if you need to.
And now just take a few seconds to just look at what you have in your hands without opening it.
If it's a chocolate bar for example,
Don't unwrap it just yet.
Just hold it and as you are looking at it start exploring it with your hands.
How heavy is it in your hand?
What does it feel like?
What's the texture of it?
Are you aware of the texture under the packaging?
What's the consistency like?
And as you are looking at it and turn it around in your hands,
What are you experiencing?
What thoughts are popping into your head?
Maybe thoughts saying,
Oh I could have this,
Oh this will be nice,
I could so easily open this and enjoy it.
Or maybe thoughts like,
Oh I really shouldn't,
I need to lose weight,
I need to get on top of my cravings.
And what feelings are there?
Is it anticipation?
Or is there any guilt?
And what else is there?
What else are you feeling?
And now explore the sensations in your body.
What is your embodied experience of this craving?
Where are you feeling it in the body?
Is it all in your head?
Or is it in your stomach as well?
If there is anticipation,
Are you feeling something like butterflies in your stomach?
Are you feeling more a sense of constriction maybe around your chest?
Especially if there is guilt.
And just spend a few seconds exploring all of you,
Thoughts,
Feelings and physical sensations.
Good work.
And now go ahead and open the packaging.
And then stop and again look at it.
And you can engage your sense of smell now as well.
And as you do so,
What else do you notice?
Is there more anticipation?
Has the craving become more intense?
Or is there a bit of frustration at not acting on it?
And again,
What is your physical experience of it?
Have you by any chance started to salivate just yet?
And again just take a few seconds to become aware of everything that's going on within you.
Thoughts,
Emotions and physical sensations.
Well then,
This is called age-surfing.
And what it is showing us is that we do have control.
We can experience an age,
A craving without necessarily acting on it.
And it doesn't mean that we need to withdraw.
It doesn't mean that we need to deny ourselves what we crave.
But it does mean that we do have a choice.
We can either choose to make this craving part of our human experience and accept it and observe it,
Stay with it without needing to do anything about it.
Just acknowledge it and let it be.
Or we could go down the other avenue and choose to enjoy the object of your craving.
And as we do so,
We can be fully mindful of it.
You know those times when we eat chocolate bar after chocolate bar and we're not really aware of what we are doing and then we snap out of it and see all these empty wrappers around us?
Well,
This is about actually having the experience and knowing that you are having the experience.
Knowing everything which is going on.
Knowing that you are enjoying it.
Knowing all of the ways in which you are enjoying it.
The consistency in your mouth,
The chewing,
The sounds,
The flavours,
The full experience of it.
And enjoying it for real.
So whatever you decide to do right now,
The choice is yours.
Either fully enjoy it or set it aside and enjoy the pride in yourself and your sense of control.
Knowing that you do have that control.
Knowing that it is okay to experience a craving and to say yes or no to it.
So well done for doing this and enjoy it either way.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
