We're going to do some urge surfing.
Before we get started,
Bring something to your mind.
Maybe it's a recent situation that you can embody or something that's happening now.
We're going to practice surfing this urge so that you feel what it's like for emotions,
Thoughts,
Raw sensations of the body to move through.
Feel your body and allow yourself to soften.
Unhinging the jaw,
Softening around the eyes,
Forehead,
Skin of the face,
Tucking your chin a little bit.
Let your shoulders be heavy and melt down the arms into the hands.
Feel the pressure underneath your sit bones and move awareness right down to the soles of the feet.
Having a sense of the ground,
The earth,
Gently holding you,
Grounding you.
Now when you're ready,
I invite you to imagine or picture the situation that you chose.
A situation that might bring about an urge or temptation to do or say,
Engage in something other than what you want to do,
Something that's problematic for you.
Just do your best to really bring that situation to mind.
You might picture the space around you in the situation,
Noticing what you can see.
Are there any other people around?
Are there certain objects that you can see?
You might bring to mind what you can hear,
What sounds are coming up.
You might also notice any sensations of touch or maybe even things you might smell or taste in this situation.
Make light contact with your breath,
Feeling the in-breath,
The out-breath.
Now you might imagine the events in the situation that lead up to the point when you really get activated.
And now we are just going to pause here the best you can and take some time to explore our experience,
Including any urge or cravings you might be experiencing right now.
So you might begin by noticing what physical sensations you're experiencing in this moment.
In this moment,
Seeing if you can notice sensations in your body with a sense of curiosity.
Asking yourself,
What does this urge or craving actually feel like in my body?
Notice the belly,
The chest,
Maybe the throat,
The limbs.
Take your time.
Perhaps there's a fluttering in your stomach,
Or tightness,
Cramping or tightness in the chest.
Check in on your jaw,
See if it's tightened,
Dryness or wetness in the mouth,
Or something else,
Any other sensations in the body,
Be with them.
Notice also thoughts going through your mind,
Emotions that are coming up for you right now.
And as best you can,
Gently acknowledging your experience with a sense of acceptance,
Non-judgment,
As a witness.
And if your mind has trailed off,
That's no problem,
Come back.
So being with this activation,
Urge,
Craving,
Feelings,
When asking yourself,
Can I stay?
Can I be okay with the feeling of this urge or craving?
And you might imagine that the feeling of an urge or craving is like an ocean wave.
And imagine that you're gently riding out or surfing that wave as it comes up,
And passes by.
Not fighting the urge,
Not reacting to it,
And also getting completely caught up or swept away by the urge.
We're gently noticing that it's here,
And surfing the wave as it passes.
And see what it's like to use your breathing,
To breathe with the feeling of the urge.
Making contact with your breath as it rolls in and out.
Being with that feeling as it moves the belly,
It moves the chest.
Using your breath to keep you steady and anchored.
As you practice mindfully accepting and acknowledging the experience of urges or cravings right here.
You might also ask yourself,
What do I really need right now?
Being curious and seeing what comes up for you.
It's almost like you're looking beneath the urge or craving,
And exploring what it is you really need or want deep down.
Be kind to yourself.
Go easy.
Maybe what you need deep down is some sense of peace,
Safety,
Or assurance.
Or maybe what you need deep down is some sense of connection with other people,
With yourself.
Maybe you're not sure what you need in this moment,
And that's completely okay.
All we're doing is being curious about the experience and exploring this sensation of urge or craving.
Sometimes an urge or craving can be covering up or masking other healthy needs and desires we all have as humans.
Like the need for rest,
Relief,
Assurance,
Safety,
Or connection.
Let's take a deeper breath in.
A long exhale out the mouth.
And simply and gently let go of that scenario.
Bringing your attention to your breathing right here,
Right now.
Feel the breath in your body as it goes in and out.
Notice the soles of your feet on the floor and having a sense of the ground beneath them.
Rerelax your jaw.
Rerelax your shoulders and hands.
And you might put one hand on your belly and one hand on the middle of your chest.
And feel what that's like for a moment or two.
The weight and warmth of your hands.
The chest and the belly rising up with the in-breath and then a gentle release with the out-breath.
Softly saying to yourself in your mind or out loud,
I'm here.
Softly open your eyes.
May you take this sense of connection to yourself with you.
And this concept of being able to ride the waves of your life with more ease and presence.
Thank you for your practice.
