Hello,
Friend.
My name is Lisa Schlossberg,
And I will be your guide for this evening.
If you are watching this video,
It is likely that you are struggling with some version of nighttime eating or emotional eating or cravings at night.
And the first thing that I want you to know is that you are so,
So deeply not alone in this,
Especially when it comes to food,
Which is a very accessible way of coping with stress and emotions and just uncomfortable feelings and sensations in the body.
Nighttime is very often and very commonly when this starts showing up.
The first thing,
Or maybe the second thing,
I guess,
That I want you to know is not just that you're not alone,
But that it is so normal and human and valid for you to be having this experience.
For a lot of us,
We are go,
Go,
Go throughout the day,
Moving from one thing to the next.
So when we finally slow down at the end of the day,
Even just from a nervous system perspective,
It can start to feel a level of vulnerable.
That maybe you didn't expect.
And maybe that you don't even understand.
So that's the other thing I want you to know is that when nighttime rolls around and maybe you're thinking things or feeling things that you haven't confronted during the day,
It might feel a little bit like you can't even put your finger on why exactly you feel so anxious or panicked or stressed out.
And you don't have to.
You don't have to know why.
Especially when these feelings come up,
I do find that trying to figure it out can actually add more stress and anxiety.
And so we're not going to do that today.
What we're going to do is normalize and validate that you are struggling with some cravings or urges at night.
It is very normal and human of you.
And,
Instead of reaching immediately for food,
Which you have all the permission and freedom to do,
We're just going to take a moment and practice grounding a little bit.
Feeling the energy of safety and stillness in the body so that you can be here and choose,
If you'd like to,
To eat or not eat after this video.
So I would love to invite you to close your eyes or drop your gaze nice and low,
Whatever feels best for you today.
And just start with a deep breath.
Big deep breath,
So feel your inhale.
On the way in,
Fill yourself up.
And then exhale,
Let it go.
Let's do that another couple times,
Big inhale.
And then audibly exhale.
Let's do that one more time.
Big inhale.
Biggest breath of your whole day.
Really fill yourself all the way up.
And then exhale.
Let's actually do one more.
Make this even bigger of a breath.
And then hold it at the top for a moment.
And just feel a little bit of discomfort.
And then on your exhale,
Release everything from today that you do not need right now.
And then keeping your eyes closed and bringing the awareness to your breath.
Keeping it there for the next few cycles.
Just start to pay attention to how the breath feels as it moves through your body.
So just feeling your lungs expanding and contracting.
Feeling your belly rising and falling.
Noticing how it feels as you breathe fresh air through your nostrils down your throat.
And allowing yourself a few more moments just to settle into your body where you are as you are.
And because it's nighttime and things might be coming up,
You might notice.
Some energy of anxiety.
Fear.
Discomfort.
And very often loneliness.
Or boredom.
And I want to invite you.
To bring those feelings in here now.
However you're feeling emotionally is welcome.
And once you invite the emotions to be here,
Also notice how your body feels.
If there's some anxious energy,
You might notice that it feels kind of fast or frenetic inside.
And just breathe into that,
If that's true.
You might notice some.
Tension or a pit in your belly or tightness in your back or your hips.
Clenching in your feet or your face.
Whatever it is you notice right now,
I just want to invite you to take a breath.
Feel your inhale.
And then send your exhale to the sensations in your body that you notice.
Just simply allowing them to be here.
Not because it's easy.
And not because it's comfortable.
But because it's already here.
And it's okay.
And as you breathe,
Notice in real time that it is okay.
For you to feel how you are feeling.
You don't need to run away.
You don't need to pretend.
Or deny.
That right now it feels like night times are hard.
And right now.
It might feel like what you want to do is cope with food.
And let's just again remember how normal and valid that is.
It's okay.
And you can choose to do that if you'd like to.
And I also want to invite you to pay attention to the part of you that wants to eat.
And first just releasing any judgment you might have.
This is a part of you that just wants you to feel better.
And it has experienced in the past very likely that food is a source of comfort.
And that's okay.
So just seeing it with compassion and empathy,
It's trying to help you.
It's not doing anything wrong and it's not bad.
And so once you invite that part of you that wants to eat To be here.
And you see it with compassion.
See if you can be curious about it.
And ask it.
What it needs.
What does it need right now?
Because if your body isn't physically hungry,
You don't really need food.
So what is it that you need?
Do you need comfort?
Do you need stimulation?
Do you need a companion?
What is it that food can bring you?
We can use food for so many different things.
You might have multiple answers.
And your job right now is just to not judge it and listen to it.
Whatever it is,
It's okay.
And then if you receive an answer or a response or any insight.
About what it is that it's seeking,
What is it actually hungry for?
You can take that in and remember that you can use food for that purpose if you want to.
There's nothing wrong with doing that.
And maybe you can get curious about where else you might get those things from.
If food is a source of comfort right now.
What else can be a source of comfort?
Maybe you get into a bath.
Cup of tea.
Your comfort TV show.
A good book.
If you're lonely or bored and needing companionship or stimulation.
Just thinking about what else you can use to get that need met.
You don't have to get the need to go away.
And it's also valid if you don't want to use food.
In this moment.
To address it.
And so allowing yourself to stay still,
Present.
Open curious and non-judgmental.
You can stay here in this space as long as you need.
With the parts of you that want to use food.
To manage how you feel right now.
Connecting with them.
Communing with them.
And really deeply supporting them.
And once you have some ideas or answers.
You can take that with you as we shift out of this.
But before we do.
Importantly,
I want to invite you to thank me.
A part of you.
That chooses food.
See it with its own eyes.
Pure intention.
To help you feel better.
And maybe extend some gratitude toward it.
Remember that it's not doing anything wrong and it's not bad.
It's part of a team that's trying to help you.
Hmm.
And then also.
Extending some gratitude for yourself.
For choosing to be here.
To support yourself with doing something different.
And if it feels right,
Maybe placing a hand on your heart or a hand on your belly or both.
Just really feeling your own presence.
I'm noticing if the energy in your body has shifted at all.
Maybe it has,
Maybe it hasn't.
And again,
Just inviting you to take as long as you want here.
Knowing that there is no rush,
There is no urgency for you to take action.
And when you're ready,
You can start to blink your eyes open,
Finding your way back into your room.
Looking around your space and just noticing any.
Objects to ground you back into here and now.
Feeling your body,
Noticing your breath.
And then if you need.
It might be a good time to pick up a pen.
And sit with a journal and just notice what comes up and out.
And see if it can guide you.
To other ways of coping,
Other ways of being present.
With yourself and whatever it is you're feeling right now.
Because whatever it is that you are feeling,
You are safe to feel.
You may not always like it.
It may not be your favorite.
It may not be ideal,
Convenient,
Or preferred.
You are strong enough.
Brave enough and resilient enough to sit with it.
With that,
I wish you a wonderful evening.
And you can come back to this video as often as you need it.
