Welcome.
This meditation is here to support you in meeting urges or cravings with awareness,
Recognizing that they may arise throughout the recovery journey.
If at any point you need to pause,
Shift your attention,
Or stop altogether,
That's okay.
This practice is about choice and self-support,
Particularly in times when we feel there is no choice.
Start by finding a position that feels comfortable in this moment.
Allow your body to settle while staying present and alert.
If it feels okay,
You're welcome to close your eyes or soften your gaze towards something non-distracting.
Take a moment to notice what's supporting your body,
Where your feet or your back may be touching a surface.
Let this be a sensation that you can return to at any time as you start to settle in.
Take a slow,
Gentle breath in and out,
Settling in.
You may already notice an urge,
A craving,
Or a pull towards a particular substance or behavior.
Bring your attention to what this feels like in your body.
This may be a pull that your body recognizes,
Something familiar,
Something with history,
Or it may be subtle and unclear.
Notice where you feel it most clearly.
Notice the qualities of this pull.
Is it tight or pressured?
Is there warmth spreading or numbness approaching?
Does it feel like an ache or heaviness?
Whatever you find,
See if you can simply notice it as is with curiosity.
Thoughts may appear as you notice this urge,
Suggestions,
Arguments,
Or stories about what you should or shouldn't do.
When you notice these thoughts,
Gently acknowledge them and then return to the sensations in your body.
You might imagine this pull as a movement that shifts over time,
Rising and falling,
Changing naturally.
It may have already changed since you first noticed it.
Take a moment to recognize that you don't have to follow this urge.
You don't have to fight it.
You can simply stay present and steady as it moves through your body.
You might picture this urge as a wave,
Rising,
Shifting,
And eventually falling.
You don't need to control the wave,
And you don't need to surf it perfectly.
You can notice its motion,
Feel its presence,
And allow it to pass in its own time.
If it's helpful,
Imagine yourself on the wave,
Balanced and steady,
Using your breath as an anchor.
Inhale,
Noticing.
Exhale,
Allowing.
Observe the waves rise and fall without needing to react.
Remember this is only one wave among many.
Each wave comes and goes,
And none lasts forever.
You can remain present through it,
Knowing that you have the capacity to meet whatever arises.
As you continue to notice,
You may sense the urge shifting,
Whether building,
Softening,
Fading,
Or potentially staying much the same.
There is no need to rush this experience.
In this moment,
You are making a choice.
You are choosing presence over reaction.
Sometimes urges are signals,
Pointing towards needs like safety,
Relief,
Connection.
You don't need to solve anything here.
Just noticing is enough.
Take a moment to attend to your breathing again.
The steady rhythm that continues,
Even as these poles rise and fall.
Notice that you are still here,
Still breathing,
Still choosing presence.
When you feel ready,
Gently begin to bring your attention back to the room around you.
Notice the surface beneath you,
The temperature of the air,
The sounds around you.
Take a slow breath in and out.
And when it feels right,
Open your eyes or lift your gaze,
Bringing with you any steadiness or curiosity you found with you as you make your choices the rest of the day.
See if you can choose to thank yourself for showing up in this moment.
