Hello,
Welcome to this practice of understanding your urge to eat.
Take a moment to settle in.
Find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Where you feel fully supported.
Gently close or soften your gaze.
I invite you to take a breath in and see if you can lengthen the out-breath,
Slowing everything down.
And another breath in,
Again elongating the out-breath.
This is a moment just for you,
A chance to pause,
To listen and to gently explore what's beneath the urge to eat.
You may be starting to feel a sense of settling.
Let's see if we can deepen into that.
Start by noticing your location,
Where you are.
Noticing which way is up,
Which way is down,
And the gentle pull of gravity.
Sensing which direction you are facing,
And without looking,
Sensing what surrounds you,
The furniture in the room or nature perhaps.
You might want to start tuning in with your body now,
And as you do this,
Can you notice where you're holding tension?
Can you breathe into this place,
And as you breathe out,
Release the tension?
Repeating this a few times.
So noticing the tension on the in-breath,
And on the out-breath,
Let it fall.
Notice the places you're really holding on,
And continue to let them release and fall.
And noticing the places that already feel relaxed,
Soft and comfortable.
We're just noticing and allowing ourselves to be here.
There's nothing to fix or change.
Now gently bring to mind a moment when you felt the urge to eat,
When you weren't physically hungry,
But felt drawn to food.
It may have just happened,
Or been a little while ago.
Can you sense what that urge physically feels like in your body?
There's no need to push it away.
We want to continue to be present,
So we can get to know this.
So as you pause and notice,
How does this urge show up?
What are you feeling right now in your body?
Is there a restless energy,
A tightness,
A pulling?
Heat or numbness?
Can you continue to allow room for these sensations to be there?
Really giving it space.
Continue to rest your attention on the physical sensations of the urge.
Beneath the words and feelings.
That's it.
Just keep your attention there as you continue to listen to my voice in the background.
When we obey the urge to reach for food,
We're subtly checking out and numbing or quietening the message that lies beneath.
It's as though the phone is ringing,
But we don't want to answer.
When we pause in the face of the urge to eat,
And just stay right there.
Just as you are doing right now.
We're checking in.
We're tuning in.
And we're sending ourselves the message.
I'm here,
And I want to listen.
In essence,
We are moving from separation from self,
To reconnecting with self.
So as you move in closer,
Can you ask yourself,
In a really open and curious,
Non-judgmental way,
What am I wanting to swallow?
Is there an emotion or experience I haven't fully processed?
From today or some other time?
Something I'm holding in.
Something I want to go away,
Or I'm not wanting to feel.
You might want to sit with this question.
Or you may want to ask another question.
What am I truly craving right now?
Do I need comfort?
Rest?
Connection?
Relief or pleasure?
What would truly nourish me in this moment?
What would fill me up?
Again,
Staying open and allowing for something to bubble up.
Just listen with curiosity.
Now,
If it feels right,
I invite you to place a gentle hand on your heart.
Or your belly.
Or both.
Offering yourself kindness.
Whatever your feeling is okay.
It's simply a message from your body.
Can you acknowledge this pause that you've already well and truly given yourself?
Take a few gentle breaths in.
And remind yourself,
I'm here and I'm listening.
And notice how the body responds to this acknowledgement.
Now,
As you continue to lean closer towards the body and what the urge has to say.
Can you ask yourself this?
If food weren't the only option,
What else might help me feel supported?
What is one small nourishing thing I can do for myself right now?
It could be a deep breath,
A stretch,
A warm drink.
Or reaching out to a loved one.
Whatever it is,
Trust that your body knows.
If you don't get a sense of this right now,
Can you trust that tuning in and listening can also take time to cultivate?
There's no rush.
And the fact that you've paused to do this today means that you're already creating space for change.
So as we come to a close,
See if you can capture the essence of what you've noticed.
And also take a moment to sense if there's been a shift in the way you're feeling.
When you're ready,
Gently move your body bringing awareness back to the room.
And slowly open your eyes carrying this shift or sense of presence with you.
And remember,
Every urge is an opportunity to listen,
To care and to meet yourself with compassion.
