Hello!
Today's talk and practice comes after a few days of snacking past full in the evening,
Before bed,
Other times of day.
It's a new pattern that emerged this winter with mostly indoor cold days and it always shifts after some days and yet here we are entering spring and it's surfaced again this week.
I'm jotting it down on my moon cycle calendar to see if it correlates with other rhythms and it's been fascinating to me to notice this new pattern because it didn't fit the main storyline.
The story in which I'm an intentional rooted person who can be with difficult sensations,
Who has grown wide capacity over the years of practice to be with what's here,
And I also have a pretty great long-term relationship with the food I choose to and eating and I'm aware of food's power to impact my physiology.
This past winter I actually naturally stopped baking with white and brown sugar and that change feels good in my body.
I've learned from Luis Mojica about pausing for 90 seconds before a food craving and we're not delving into any of these topics today by the way,
Simply illustrating some of the context I found myself in when this eating past full pattern emerged.
So all of the above is true and also I couldn't stop or slow down last night between the itch and going to the bag of snacks and in these moments there's usually some level of awareness that I just finished dinner and I'm not hungry why am I wanting a snack and I still haven't been able to not go for it.
There wasn't any difficult emotion I was consciously avoiding,
Nothing big happening.
This doesn't tend to happen on days when I'm out of the house,
Out working,
It's when I'm home and here's where I lean into my ongoing practice of releasing story.
I don't need to know the whys,
I don't need this to make sense in my created storyline,
My human narration of what's unfolding.
I can simply let this be here knowing that in this season there have been many evenings where I eat and snack past full and it doesn't feel good in my body to be so full which is why I'm choosing to bring attention here to start to shift it and I also know that I need a support for the next time this happens which is why I'm inviting you into my unfolding.
I'm a real human over here and let's practice today in a moment where I'm resourced and I've also made a separate track titled being with sensations of craving that I can return to in the actual moment and if it helps you out there also that's great.
So I invite you to join me if it feels right let's practice right now breathing together and celebrating that you are here you are choosing to try a new way bringing curiosity and openness so let's let's see what arises what will we greet if we focus our attention together so first can you feel where your body is making contact with the earth feeling into that sensation of being held sturdy as the bedrock of the earth then is there a place in the body where you can feel this sensation of craving continuing to breathe as you scan for it breath is here and now inviting in curiosity to learn more about this sensation what is its temperature is there a texture to it a shape a speed a color what type of landscape is it I'm returning to the breath I invite you to rub your hands together creating warmth and then place a hand there where you're feeling the sensation of craving the intention this hand will send love and gentleness and curiosity what do you want me to know as we remind ourselves it's okay to experience whatever's here returning to place your attention on the surface that's holding you keeping your hand where it is notice again where your body is making contact with the surface we are the bedrock with the river flowing over us we are witnessing the ever-changing now moment by moment connecting again with the breath and returning with curiosity to the sensation of craving under your hands have there been any subtle shifts in texture any loosening softening or even amplifying there's no right or wrong experience simply noticing what's here and we have been with the sensation for well over 90 seconds so great job we are creating a new pathway by adding space after noticing the sensation of craving in the somatic world of uncomfortable sensations 90 seconds can be a really long time so I will celebrate when I pause for five seconds to tune into sensations after noticing I'm experiencing a craving and celebrate maybe a week from now it's 10 seconds we'll see and I have friends with whom I track sensations and we share our one percent shifts and that sharing and being witnessed strengthens these changes so if you have a trusted person I invite you to share with someone as well celebrate and narrate the changes if there is something you are trying to shift and in doing so you're communicating to your body we are doing this differently so I will be practicing when I'm resourced with the track called being with sensations of craving such that it'll be easier to turn towards in the moment and if it feels right for something in your life I invite you to practice also and know that as you transition back into your day if that's to eat something or indulge in whatever you are craving go ahead your senses are attuned now to savor the experience to enjoy it to receive with delight and gratitude and presence and that is definitely a celebratory shift from mindlessly reacting to a craving as has been my current pattern and thank you for being here for being with this unfolding may our sharing and weaving be for the good of all beings so thank you for being here go well into your day
