If you're feeling a strong urge right now to engage in a behavior that you know deep down is not in your best interest,
This practice is here for you.
Maybe you want to eat to escape or soothe uncomfortable feelings.
Maybe you want to drink,
Smoke,
Or vape when you know you'll end up feeling guilty or remorseful.
Maybe you feel a sudden tight grip in your body.
Or a need to try to control what's happening.
Maybe you feel a sense of urgency in your body.
When in reality.
.
.
Nothing is actually urgent.
Or maybe your mind is caught in a painful or unhelpful thought loop.
Or maybe you feel pulled to escape or check out in some other way by scrolling,
Shopping,
Gambling,
Or another behavior that attempts to get you away from what you're experiencing.
It might not feel like it right now.
But this moment is an opportunity to turn toward what you might normally run from.
So first,
I want to congratulate you for pressing pause on that urge and clicking play on this recording.
Do not underestimate what you just did.
This is one of the hardest parts.
You interrupted an automatic pattern that most people run on autopilot.
By taking this pause right now,
You are reclaiming your power of choice.
Even if you decide,
After we do these practices together,
To go ahead and do whatever you feel pulled to do,
You have still made progress.
Because you broke the immediate craving-to-behaving loop.
You put a wedge of awareness right in the middle of it.
Every moment you spend here,
You are strengthening your muscle of choice.
You are showing this pattern that it's no longer in charge.
Your wise,
Present self is stepping into the driver's seat right now.
Before we begin our practice,
I want to remind you that you get to decide how deep you go.
If connecting or staying with a physical sensation ever feels like too much,
You can always open your eyes.
Look around your environment.
And anchor yourself in whatever way feels safest to you.
So let's start our practice.
You can close your eyes if you'd like,
Or simply lower your gaze and soften your focus.
Bring your attention to your breathing.
Breathe in any way that feels most supportive to your body right now.
You could slow your breath down.
You could fill your belly or your heart center with air as you inhale and lengthen your exhalations a little bit more.
Find a steady rhythm that feels supportive to you.
If it feels right for your body and the setting you're in.
You can try letting a soft sound out as you exhale.
Maybe an audible exhalation.
Or a gentle sigh.
See if you can soften your forehead,
Relax your jaw.
Let your shoulders drop a little bit more.
Now let's see if you can soften and release any physical tension.
With small movements.
You could gently rock from side to side.
Or roll your shoulders.
If your body wants to stretch or yawn,
Just go with that.
We're just going to start giving your system a chance to release a little bit of the pressure you've been carrying.
Now tune inside your body and notice any sensations that are present.
Try to observe them without judgment.
Like you might observe weather patterns outside.
We're looking at weather patterns inside.
Is there a tightness somewhere?
Or maybe a tingling or a buzzing.
Hollowness or heavy denseness.
Just noticing.
Now,
Very briefly,
Bring to mind what brought you here.
The urge.
Craving.
Of feeling or thought.
Or maybe something that's even hard to name.
When you think about.
What brought you?
To this practice.
What sensations do you notice inside?
These sensations might feel similar or different from what you noticed before.
Many people spend their lives running from uncomfortable feelings and sensations.
And what they often need is presence and permission.
Wherever you feel physical sensations right now.
See if you can observe them like an interesting cloud or storm that's passing through.
You don't have to numb them or try to get rid of them.
We're just going to sit with them for a moment.
You are increasing your capacity to be with uncomfortable sensations.
As you breathe,
See if you can breathe right into the center of those sensations.
Notice what happens without any agenda.
In a moment,
I'll be guiding you to explore those feelings and sensations a little more deeply.
And will make room for whatever is inside of you.
You can allow any natural impulses from movement sound.
Or expression if that feels right for your body.
Or you can simply notice what's inside of you.
And there's no right or wrong here.
If you've already noticed sensations shifting,
That's totally fine.
If you notice,
Maybe sensations have gotten stronger.
Or softer.
Or just noticing.
So as we shift into this next part of the practice,
If you don't feel safe or private enough right now to express anything outwardly,
That's completely fine.
You can do this entirely in your mind.
Or you can press pause and come back to the rest of this practice another time.
But if you are in a private setting.
And it feels safe to make some more sounds or movements,
We're going to make room for that.
So tune back inside now.
And notice any sensations that you're aware of in your body.
You could tap into the feelings or urge that brought you here to this recording.
Or simply notice what's inside of you right now.
There might be old thought patterns weighing on you.
There might be feelings or sensations that could use some expression and release.
You might feel an impulse to express sounds,
Words,
Or some type of movement.
Allow yourself to go with whatever feels safe,
Supportive,
And respectful for you.
I'll give you some ideas of how you might allow some of that energy to be expressed or moved through,
And you can see if anything resonates with your body and the setting you're in right now.
Your body might want to shake,
Shake off some of that energy.
You could shake your arms or legs,
Or your whole body.
You could shake one arm.
Your body might want to make a sound.
Maybe there's a growl.
Or a moan that wants to come out.
Or maybe.
.
.
You wanna scream into a pillow or out loud if you have privacy.
You could even do a silent scream.
By expressing the movement and intensity of a scream without making any sound.
Or a quiet scream by letting out a soft,
Breathy sound.
So it could feel like you're expressing a scream without actually screaming out loud.
Maybe your body wants to squeeze a pillow.
Or press your feet into the floor.
Or make any movement that feels supportive.
There might be tears that want to come out.
And if so,
I hope you will let them flow.
And allow some of the pressure you've been carrying to soften.
So listen to your body.
Allow yourself to be with whatever is here and express it in whatever way feels safe and right for you.
I'm going to give you a couple of minutes of quiet.
And you can simply notice what's here.
Or you can express whatever feels safe to move through and release.
You If you need more time,
Feel free to press pause and come back whenever you're ready.
And let's gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
If you'd like,
You can take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Softening your shoulders.
Letting everything soften as much as you can.
And again,
Breathing in as fully as you'd like.
And as you exhale,
Completely letting go of any remaining tension.
Now allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm.
And see if there are any parts of your body that you can soften a little bit more.
If you'd like,
You can place one or both hands over your heart.
And feel the warm and gentle pressure of your own touch.
I'm going to be guiding you to offer yourself a good dose of compassion and acknowledgement for taking this time to pause.
And interrupt an automatic pattern.
You chose to check in instead of check out.
See if there's something compassionate.
That you can genuinely say to yourself.
Something you might say to someone you really care about.
I'll give you some ideas,
But of course use your own words or feel free to use mine.
I know I've been hurting,
Stressed,
Overwhelmed,
Lonely,
And needing a break.
I'm proud of myself for pausing and taking this time for myself.
I don't have to run from feelings.
I can be with them.
It makes perfect sense why I want and need comfort.
I can find other ways to get comfort.
I can find other ways to take breaks.
I'll give you a moment now to say something compassionate to yourself,
Either silently or out loud.
As we bring this practice to a close.
Tune back into your body.
Notice if anything has softened.
Or shifted even a tiny bit.
Sometimes an urge can feel so overwhelming,
And our habits are often attempts to soothe,
Avoid,
Or distract from uncomfortable thoughts,
Feelings,
Or sensations.
But feelings and sensations often shift when we welcome them.
So notice if there's even a little pocket of clarity.
Or space inside you right now.
That wasn't there before we began.
And whatever you notice is totally fine.
Before we close our practice,
I want to give you a question to ask yourself and just see what comes to mind.
What would be something genuinely self-soothing I could offer myself after this recording ends?
I say genuinely self-soothing because automatic habits can often soothe us for a short time.
But may cause painful consequences later.
But genuine self-soothing feels supportive in the moment.
And factors in our long-term well-being.
So maybe genuine self-soothing looks like making a cup of warm tea.
Or stepping outside for fresh air.
Or doing a gentle stretch.
Or putting on some music.
Maybe it would be reaching out to someone supportive.
Or just simply resting right where you are for a few more moments.
Whatever you choose to do next,
I hope you will acknowledge yourself.
You paused.
You chose awareness.
You chose to turn toward what a part of you may have wanted to avoid.
If the urge that brought you here still has a hold on you,
Remember you don't have to navigate it alone.
You can listen to this track again.
You can reach out to a safe,
Supportive person,
Or you can just take it a few moments at a time by finding a compassionate activity to help you ride out the rest of this wave.
Whenever you're ready.
Shift your attention.
To the surface beneath you.
You can open your eyes if they were closed.
Look around and notice a few colors or shapes that you see.
If you'd like,
You can give yourself a gentle stretch.
As you prepare to step back into the next part of your day,
Carrying awareness and self-compassion with you.
