So,
Let's begin by finding a quiet,
Comfortable space,
Ideally one where you can sit and find a place of ease.
Whatever that is for you in this moment,
And you can take a few cleansing breaths,
Just observing your natural rhythm of your breath.
And you'll probably notice that as you do this,
Keeping part of your awareness on your breathing and the other part of your awareness on my voice for the time being,
Your body will naturally shift and settle in.
And your eyes can stay open but softly focused.
Or if you like,
You can close them gently if that feels good to you.
Wonderful.
And if you normally find yourself biting your nails or your cuticles or just putting your fingers in your mouth or touching your face in an absent-minded way,
You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the moment you give yourself permission to become more aware of what you're feeling or thinking right before you usually do this,
Something inside of you can shift so that from this moment on,
That behavior that was once totally automatic can become something you are much more consciously aware of.
And once you know the reasons behind that behavior that you really want to change,
From that moment on,
You can make a different choice.
And so if you usually tend to bite your nails or put your fingers near your mouth or touch your face when you're anxious or feeling tense,
Like when you have something you have to get done and maybe you used to be a bit worried about it,
Knowing what you know now,
You can give yourself permission to become more consciously aware of that very moment when you begin to have that urge and you can instead breathe through it.
And notice what happens as you delay doing that thing that you really want to change or leave behind altogether.
You can actually notice that cravings are kind of like clouds.
They're always changing.
And whether they initially seem large or small,
They're always shifting.
And cravings,
Just like clouds,
Tend to dissipate or move on entirely,
Leaving clear sky.
And simply by shifting your attention,
Just like a flashlight beam moving from one thing to another,
You can highlight what you want to do and allow those things that you really want to leave behind to just fade off into the distance.
An old habit now.
And so it can easily move into the past.
Like leaves falling into a river or a stream.
And you can just watch from a place of easy detachment how the natural current carries those old dried leaves downstream and far off into the distance.
And you can once again shift your awareness to something even better.
And if you are someone who finds that your habit used to be a way to manage boredom,
That's okay.
Because now that you know better,
You can do better.
You can make a different choice.
So just notice how that feels.
And if perhaps you're someone who can instead do something simple,
Like touching your thumb and pointer finger together,
Making a gesture that creates a very benign and pleasant release.
Such a natural thing that probably only you will notice doing.
And yet it serves a purpose and gets the job done.
And so you can leave behind an old habit that has run its course.
And just allow yourself to notice what a relief that is.
Wonderful.
And if you're someone who used to engage in that habit,
That you're really excited to leave behind because you used to do that when you felt you needed to self-protect or you craved extra comfort.
You know now that lots of gestures serve that purpose.
And the very good news that I am sure you're pleasantly surprised to hear is that you get to choose.
You are so much more aware now.
And you can make a better,
Healthier choice for yourself.
And it can feel so good to do just that.
And whether you use that new gesture,
So simple and powerful,
Of touching your thumb and pointer finger together.
Or perhaps you allow your breath to be the gateway to better things.
Or perhaps you take a sip of water,
Cleansing in so many ways,
Body and mind.
Just notice how wonderful that feels.
And how proud you can be of making this really important change.
Terrific.
And now,
Even though it's time,
Once again,
To shift your awareness to a very calm but fully alert state,
You can retain whatever has been helpful to you and just leave behind everything else.
You can feel very alert and refreshed,
Fully back in the present.
Wonderful.
So wiggle your toes and your fingers and stretch your body and take some sips of cool water.
And give yourself a few minutes before returning to your day.
