Externalizing Food, Eating Disorder, And Body Image Noise

A Three Intelligences Embodied Practice for Eating Disorder Recovery

In recovery, difficult thoughts, urges, and self-criticism don't have to disappear before healing can begin. This guided 18-minute embodied practice introduces three kinds of "noise": Food Noise, Eating Disorder Noise, and Body Image Noise. Through mindfulness, breath, and guided imagery, you'll learn to notice each kind of noise, name it, and gently allow it to exist beside you rather than within your sense of self. As you strengthen The Noticing Self, you'll create space for the wisdom of your Body, Mind, and Heart to be heard. The goal isn't to eliminate the noise, but to change your relationship with it, allowing greater presence, choice, self-compassion, and connection to what truly matters. Please note: This practice is intended for support and does not replace professional medical or psychological care.

Transcript

Hello, This is Dr. Katherine Cook-Gatone. And this meditation is a guidance for how to externalize. Noise. And in particular, The noise we'll be working with today. Is related to. Disordered eating. There are lots of noises that can happen with disordered eating. I'm going to focus on three. The first one. Is food noise. And food noise is this thinking a lot about food. Food items, Things you'd like to eat, When you want to eat them, If they're all gone yet, Did you get enough, So noise is related. To food. It can sound like your own voice, It sounds a lot like thinking, Obsessing, Rumination, And it's all about food. This is one kind of noise. A second kind of noise is eating disorder symptom noise. And this noise has to do with Looking forward to having a symptom or thinking about not having a symptom but the noise goes on and on and is very focused on disorder deeding. And all the symptoms that go with it. You can include wanting to binge, Wanting to get rid of food, Wanting to excessively exercise, Any of that, Wanting to do body checking. So this noise has a lot to say and it can have action urges that go with it. Just like food noise. And then the third one is body image noise. And body image noise is a lot of noise around the size and shape and experience of the body. And this isn't a positive body image noise that I'm talking about right now. It's the more problematic, Critical, I'm not enough, Self-objectified, What other people think of how I look, Is my body good enough, Is my body enough? Is it the right shape? Is the right size? Is it pretty? Handsome? Strong, Etc. Enough. Is it enough? And that noise can be as loud as food noise and as loud and uncomfortable as eating disorder symptom noise. And in some cases, It is part of the eating disorder symptomatology. So those are the three noises that we are going to work with today. And actually, You're going to choose one. One that has been bothering you the most recently. So think about that for a moment. Is it food? Is it eating disorder symptom noise? Is it body image noise? And pick one. And you can listen to this again and pick a different one. So for now, Pick one. Okay. And now we're going to do the practice. So to do this, Let's start with. Settling into your body. Creating a foundation for the practice. We know that healing comes from. Positive embodiment. And finding a foundation for meditation is part of that practice. So organizing yourself, I'll do it for myself too right now. I'm going to uncross my legs and set both of my feet on the floor. So finding a chair for you, Something comfortable where your feet can touch the floor. If it takes a moment and you want to turn off the. Meditation and go find a spot and then turn it back on go do that So feet on the floor, Sitting bones on the chair. And then bring your awareness to your feet. So feeling them on the ground. Rock your feet. Forward so that you notice your toes really pressing into the earth. And then the balls of your feet, And then rock the feet back so the heels press in. And then rock forward and back. Just a couple times. So you have a sense of your feet and then press both feet, The toes, The heels into the floor, Into the earth. Then having an awareness of your feet, Your ankles, Your shins, Your knees, Your legs, Moving to the sitting bones on the chair. Maybe you move from side to side, Getting a sense of each sitting bone, And then find your center. The feet press down the sitting bones, Settle down into the chair. And then an up energy comes from the pelvic floor through the belly. Through the heart. Through your brain, Through the crown of your head. So press down and lift up. And then on an exhale, Soften the shoulders, Soften your jaw, And soften your eyes. And now we're ready. Bringing to mind the noise that you want to work with. Let it come here right now. Say, Hey noise, We're going to do some work. So. Perhaps this is your food noise, Maybe it's your eating disorder noise, Maybe it's your body image noise invited in. And then listen to the noise. And you don't have to analyze it, Judge it, Resist it. Just listen and breathe. Hear what it has to say. Now I want you to have a sense of where this noise is. Where is it located? So we can hear it, But let's feel it. Alright, So. . . Often I ask people, I'm going to ask you now, Is it in your big toes? And nearly always, It's not. And if it's in your big toes, That's fair too. Say yes, Gosh darn it, It's in my big toes. So we're going to find out where it is and where it is not. So start with your toes, Your feet, Is it here? Ankles, Is it here? Into your shins, Your knees. Is it here? Where's this noise? Legs. Great sitting bones belly heart space, Arms, Hands, Fingers. Is it in your head? Go all the way back up and travel. Is it all around your head space? Where is this noise? And just having a sense of. Where it is. If it's in more than one place, Where is it most intensely existing? And now we're going to listen to it and just notice it. Where it is. You might even have a sense of its edge. Its shape, Is it a sphere? Is it a square? Is it like a flower, An intense center with? Petals or energy pointing outward. Is it squiggly? Is it lines all intersecting? What is it? What is it even like? What is its shape? And then get a sense of its emotional balance. Like what is it even feeling? Is this noise scared? Is it angry? What is it feeling? What is going on? With this noise emotionally. Does it not feel safe? And we want to orient to the noise with a sense of loving kindness and curiosity. Let it know I'm not trying to get rid of you or judge you. I'm really curious in the most loving, Kind way. Right? If it is scared, Gosh, It's hard to be scared like that. If it is angry. Yeah. Like, You know, We get anger. We understand. It's hard. Is it busy? Very busy? Does it feel like it has an important job to do? So responsible. Get a sense of what it's feeling. And if you're not sure, Gosh, That's okay too. You can always do this meditation again and the more time you spend really curious about the noise, The more we can. Begin to understand its nature. I want you to also consider more of its qualities. Is it very intense? Is it lackadaisical? Is it like. . . I don't know, Ruminating kind of. Cyclic. Just over and over and over. Is it pokey or pestery? Hey hey. What's it like in this way? Is it chaotic? Is it organized? Interestingly, It might even have a temperature. Is it cold? Hot? Idiom. Or no temperature. Makes sense. Is it sharp or soft? Or both. Is it complicated or simple? What color is it? Is it more than one color? Just having a sense of all these different qualities. That this noise has, And you're so curious. And you're offering it loving kindness, You're offering it compassion. I'm really curious about you, Noise. Now, I want to go back to the sense of the edges of this noise. I'm gonna take a deeper look at this. So we have a sense of maybe where it is most intensely. The main area or areas. And then bring your awareness from the very center of intensity of where it is to its edges. And they might be quite solid and firm. These edges are porous. Or misty. Foggy. But at a certain point. There is a point where the noise is and where it is no more. And having a sense of its edge. Taking your hands and your imagination or physically, I'm doing it physically right now, I'm creating a little bowl. With my hands. My pinkies are together. I'm pressing them and I'm creating this bowl with both hands as if I could scoop my hands into a pond and lift up water. Or a beautiful birdbath. Lift up some water. But instead I'm going to place my hands using my imagination and place my hands right underneath the noise. Right in the bottom area. Of its edge. And as I hold the noise, I'm holding it with such loving kindness. With such curiosity. And if warmth feels good to it, Then warmth. If cooling would feel good to it, Cooling. I'm not trying to change it. I'm trying to hold it in a way that is thoughtful and careful and kind. And then with my imagination and my energy, I'm going to create a sphere. Of loving kindness all around its edge. I'm not not to control it. I want to really meet it at its edge. Just trying to be with it. I'm exploring the experience of being with it in this soft, Containing or holding it around its edge. My hands underneath and the energy all around. And just offering it a sense of that I'm here. And I'm with you. I'm here and I'm with you. Now with a lot of gentleness. You're going to lift. The noise and gently move it, And this is called externalizing. We're going to move it and externalize it, Take it outside of our body. So wherever it was located, We're changing its location. You might want to set it down right next to you. It might choose to, Like you help it choose to, Float next to you in the air. You might set it on the table in front of you. Or create an imaginal pedestal that holds it, Or a cloud. Maybe even a container, A beautiful carved wooden box or bowl. And then with your hands, Gently set it. Into that space. And then bring your hands back to your lap, Either in real life or imagination. And having a sense of this noise right near you. And then if you feel like the noise is working to get closer again, You're just going to lift up one hand. Palm facing the noise. And on an exhale, Just gently, Gently Push it. Back to its place. Here you go, Noise, Right here. I'm not trying to push you away. Reject you banish you, None of that. I want to be with you, Sitting next to you. Lots of loving kindness. And compassion in space. But I'm taking a little break. I should say, And I'm taking a little break. And then just when it feels right, Bring in your hand. Back. To your lab. And with this space, Let's take four nice breaths. Breathing in. And breathing out. Keep breathing in. And out. If the space feels like it's moving back, We're just going to lift it up. Gently set it back over or lift our hand and on an exhale move it back into its place. Let's take two more breaths in. And out. And in. And out. Nice. And just having a sense of your body with the noise next to you and its fear of loving kindness, Not banished, Not rejected. But not needing to be under your skin or in your head. Or in your chest or belly, Or even in your toes. And then one more time thinking the noise for how it does try to help you. And how it's trying to manage things. I appreciate it, Noise, And I'm going to take a break. And maybe in this break, You can play with your children or hug a loved one. Or study. Or get back to work. Or go outside and stand and open your arms and welcome in the sun. Let your life take up the space in your body. Where There's space now because the noise is sitting next to you. And not within you. Anytime you feel like the noise is starting to reoccupy, You can just listen again and we can move it over again. So let's find your feet. Your ankles, Your legs, Your knees, Thighs, Sitting bones. Belly, Heart, Mind crown of head, Soft shoulders, Soft jaw, Soft eyes. And as you're ready, Slowly opening your eyes and coming back here. Thank you so much for practicing with me. And please listen to this whenever you'd like. And whenever you need or want to. I look forward to being with you on your next meditation.