Hello and welcome to this meditation for hair pulling.
This practice is designed to be used early in the day to provide a mindful morning anchor,
But feel free to come back to it later in the day if you need a reset.
First,
Take a moment to see if you need anything before we begin.
Maybe a glass of water,
A gentle stretch,
A scented candle,
Or a cozy blanket.
You can pause this recording now if you need a moment.
Now come to a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Take in a deep breath,
And let it go.
Relax your body and settle in.
The goal of this practice is to increase awareness,
Set yourself up for success,
And start your day with intention.
Because urges tend to follow predictable patterns,
We can prepare for them ahead of time rather than relying on willpower in the moment.
Urges will likely show up today,
And that's okay.
By starting your day with intention,
You're giving yourself a better chance to catch those moments before they unfold.
It's much easier to prevent an urge from gaining momentum than to interrupt pulling once it's started.
Let's start by taking a deep,
Cleansing breath in,
And then let it all out.
Relax your body,
And notice where you may be holding tension.
Relax your shoulders,
Jaw,
And forehead.
Again,
Let's take in another breath,
And this time I want you to imagine breathing in a sense of peace or calm,
Whatever that means for you.
Now exhale slowly,
And as you do,
Imagine releasing stress or tension from your body.
If you're new to meditation or unsure how to do this,
You can simply think the word peace in your mind as you inhale,
And the word release as you exhale,
Or choose other words that are meaningful to you.
Let's do this three more times.
Deep breath in,
Inviting calm into your body,
And slow breath out,
Releasing tension.
Deep breath in,
Imagine peace.
Slow breath out,
Release any tension.
Last time,
Inhale to invite calm,
Exhale to let go of stress.
Now let your shoulders relax a bit more away from your ears.
Let your forehead soften.
Let your jaw fall just a bit so that there's room between your top and bottom teeth.
Release your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Notice if there's anywhere else that you're clenching or holding on to tension,
And see if you can invite a little more relaxation into that area.
Now let's check in with your internal world.
Notice what thoughts are coming up.
Are you thinking about the day ahead and all that you have to do?
Or perhaps thoughts of past events that were stressful.
You may notice thoughts of self-doubt or criticism.
All of those thoughts are fine.
Let's practice acknowledging them without judgment.
How are you feeling right now?
Do you feel content?
Anxious?
Excited?
Irritable?
Sad?
You don't need to change anything.
Just notice what emotions are present for you right now.
How is your energy?
Imagine a fuel tank gauge and note where the needle falls right now.
Do you feel energized and ready to take on the day?
Or are you feeling tired,
Worn out,
Or overwhelmed?
Or maybe somewhere in the middle.
What do you feel in your body right now?
Let's scan through the body and notice if there's any tension or other sensations.
Begin by bringing your attention to your head,
And scan down.
Next,
Bring your attention to your neck and your shoulders.
Your arms,
Hands,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Your legs,
And your feet.
Again,
Whatever you notice is fine.
We can practice acknowledging what's there without any judgment.
Now I want to walk you through an exercise to set you up for success today.
For many people with hair pulling,
Urges are an unavoidable part of their daily life.
Pulling can be a highly accessible regulation tool to help cope with stressors.
The good news is you can use your imagination to let your brain know how you want to manage the urges when they arise.
So let's begin.
Imagine yourself later today in a situation that may lead to pulling.
Some common places are bathrooms,
While driving,
Sitting at a desk,
Or relaxing in your favorite chair.
I invite you to really settle into this space in your mind.
What position is your body in?
Where are your hands?
Are there any sights,
Sounds,
Or smells?
What emotions or sensations are present?
Use your imagination to really feel it as best as you can.
Now imagine you feel an urge coming on,
Or maybe you just noticed you're already pulling.
What do you notice?
Where do you feel it?
Is it a tingling at your scalp?
A poking feeling at your fingertips?
The sight of a gray hair or a split end?
What else can you notice about the urge?
Do you feel it anywhere else in your body?
Do you notice any thoughts about it?
Maybe you're thinking,
No,
I shouldn't.
Or just this one.
Next,
Imagine your urge as a wave in the ocean.
As the wave rises higher and higher,
The urge intensifies.
It gets stronger.
Then,
As all waves do,
It crests and starts to fall,
And with it,
The intensity of the urge steadily decreases until it's completely gone.
It was just another temporary thought or sensation in your day.
You can let that go now.
Taking a deep cleansing breath,
And then sigh it out,
Releasing any tension with your exhale.
Now let's tune into your external environment.
Go ahead and open your eyes if you have them closed.
What's going on around you?
What colors or objects can you see?
What sounds can you hear,
Both near and far?
What are you touching?
Maybe you can feel the clothes on your skin,
Or the earth supporting your weight.
Can you smell anything?
Taste anything?
This simple act of noticing what's going on in the present moment is a helpful practice for returning to a mindful state later in the day.
Finally,
Let's set an intention for the day.
I invite you to choose a positive,
Present tense statement to carry with you for the rest of your day.
You may choose something like,
I am intentional with my hands,
Or when I notice an urge,
I will watch it rise and fall like a wave,
Or I navigate strong emotions with ease and compassion.
Or any other statement that resonates with you.
Repeat these statements as often as you wish throughout the day.
Great job.
Now notice how you feel.
How does it compare to how you felt when you started?
Maybe you feel more relaxed and at ease,
Or maybe you're frustrated by noticing just how much your thoughts are all over the place.
Just notice.
Sometimes we get stuck too far inward,
Overanalyzing,
Or feeling disconnected.
Other times we're pulled too far outward,
Hypervigilant,
Distracted,
Or tuned out from ourselves.
Throughout your day,
Pause to notice if you've fallen out of balance in either of these ways.
Today you practiced shifting between inner and outer awareness.
This promotes flexibility,
Choosing where your attention goes instead of defaulting to a familiar pattern.
Remember that hair pulling may feel random at times,
But urges often follow predictable patterns.
Showing up at certain times,
In familiar places,
Tied to certain emotions,
Or when we're feeling out of balance.
You did not choose to have hair pulling,
But you can choose how you want to respond to your urges.
Because these moments are often predictable,
It can be helpful to plan ahead for them instead of relying on willpower in the moment.
Remember that right now,
In this moment,
You are showing up for yourself.
You are building the mental muscle to act with intention and mindfulness.
Today is a new day and you can make it whatever you want.
You can rewrite your story,
Regardless of what patterns you've felt stuck in in the past.
You can come back to this meditation at any time that you need a reset,
Or when you start to notice that you're feeling dysregulated.
The simple act of checking in with yourself even briefly can be very powerful in restoring balance.
As we come to a close,
You may want to take this opportunity when the practice ends to prepare your space for success.
If you use hats or fidgets to help manage your hair pulling,
Go ahead and make sure they're handy.
If you need to pack a nutritious lunch for later in the day,
Do so.
If you find it helpful to take 10 minutes to plan your day out,
Allow yourself that time.
Whatever you need to set yourself up for success,
Now may be a good time to act on it.
May you have an intentional day.
