DEAR FRIENDS,
We hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. These are indeed challenging times. Many are experiencing and witnessing untold suffering, fear and anxiety. We know that healing begins when we are able to come together as a community. We feel overwhelming gratitude for our community.
We so appreciate those of you who were able to join us for our virtual workshop, “Maintaining Mindfulness Throughout the Day: Including Mindful Nutrition and Mindful Eating.”
Below is a summary of our mindful exploration and a mindful approach to cravings and addictions:
When we first started with you all a few weeks ago we did not know what these months ahead would bring. We are still experiencing much uncertainty in our lives, and for many this time is exhausting and challenging. Recent news reminds us of how tender our humanity is. If we do not feel cared for, if we do not feel felt, known and heard; we can be overcome with fear, anxiety and anger. It is important that we take time to care for ourselves - and one another. As we observe a prayer vigil today for George Floyd, we have hope that a thoughtful response to unconsionable acts and violence may be to reach out with loving awareness; heartfulness. Lovingkindness practice is a way to give yourself compassion and to reach out with compassion to the suffering of others.
Click Here for a Meditation on Lovingkindness
Tuesday morning we did a body scan meditation together. When you are feeling any agitation or hyper-sensitivity, curious about whether you are feeling hungry - or maybe tired, thirsty or bored, or maybe just having trouble falling asleep at night, a body scan helps steady your focus and supports you as you check in with yourself - with kindness, non-judgment and curiosity.
Click Here for a Body Scan Meditation
To learn more about mindfulness and cravings and addiction I recommend any podcasts on Dr. Judson Brewer’s website. His intereview with Rich Roll is a good place to begin.
Dr. Brewer’s definition of addiction is, “Continued use despite adverse consequences”.
Have we all been addicted to something?
Dr. Brewer continues to explore reward based learning; how we form habit loops which get in the way of achieving an optimal relationship with and mindset about food, anxiety, fear, our cell phones, etc.
He teaches us that our response to a trigger is a behavior which illicits a reward…
If it is not a good reward (as in see chocolate cake/ eat half of the cake/ and feel quite sick… Seeing the cake is the trigger, eating half of it is the behavior and feeling sick is our “reward”…
Dr. Brewer then gives us information about how our brain works to develop a better habit loop. See the cake; drop into your experience briefly with mindful awareness; using the practice of R-A-I-N (see below) you may decide to have a glass of water as you may be more thristy than hungry, take ten minutes to go outside to take a walk - or some other Bigger, Better, Offer which will lead to a greater, positive reward. Dr. Brewer prefers helping us to learn how our mind functions and to try changing our realtionship with our challenges instead of avoiding them or attempting to use will power - which has been proven time after time, diet after diet to not work. Dr. Brewer’s approach does take time and requires patience. If you are able to offer some time and consistency, you may surprise yourself with the results.
The Practice of R-A-I-N
When we first learned about the technique called RAIN, we explored uncomfortable sensations, feelings and emotions in our awareness as we practiced. I will review the tool again for you to use when you experience a craving. See the acronym as a surf board helping you ride the waves of craving.
R- Recognize/ relax you can see the craving coming. Remember that you have no control over the craving coming so see if you can...
A- Accept and allow the craving. in fact you may even try to welcome it. Don’t try to ignore it or distract yourself. To catch the wave, you have to study it to watch the wave as it builds, crests and falls so you...
I- Investigate - the body sensations, the thoughts and emotions that come with this craving- get really curious about them. Finally...
N- Notice what is happening in your experience. For some, cravings are experienced as a tightening in the belly, or even a burnng sensation. Keep noticing what feelings you notice as the craving builds crests and subsides. Using RAIN you can actually ride out this craving.
I recommend Dr. Judson Brewer’s apps:
Click Here for the Eat Right Now app.
Click Here for the Unwinding Anxiety app.
Finally, Click Here for a short practice.
As we learn in Dr. Brewer’s Unwinding Anxiety App, reward based learning can be applied to any habit; including our “habit” of worry, fear, etc. We will explore this in our workshops beginning in September.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy a wonderful summer! Please remember to bring to mind those moments of joy at the end of each day, and perhaps enter these memories in your journal.
In Gratitude,