Week 25 - Exploring the Wanting Creature

Week 25 Activity

EXPLORING THE WANTING CREATURE

The desire to have something, whether it is a second

helping at dinner or the latest gadget, can be very

powerful. I like to imagine it as a slumbering creature

curled up contentedly until desire wakens it and it

roars into being.

This is the perfect opportunity to explore what "wanting" really feels like. Where do we notice it in the body, what thoughts are we aware of, and are there any emotions present? What motivates and drives the Wanting Creature? How do we feel afterward if we allow the Wanting Creature to get its way? How long does the enjoyment last? What do we notice then in the head, heart, and body?

As always, the key word here is Curiosity!

Exploring the Wanting Creature can happen on many different levels. For example, we often eat without awareness—reaching for that slice of cake or second helping while on autopilot. The invitation here is to bring that moment of impulse into awareness: to explore what it feels like in the body and notice any accompanying thoughts or emotions. Decide whether you are really hungry or whether the impulse might derive from boredom or something else. Be curious, You may still decide to have the cake or the second helping, but you will be choosing to do so intentionally.

If, after consideration, you decide to have the treat, eat it mindfully rather than allowing the experience to be tarnished by judging thoughts, guilt, and shame. If you eat it and notice that actually you already had enough and now you feel uncomfortably full, pay attention so that next time you can add that information to the decision-making process.

You can follow this process with many different moments of impulse: reaching for the next glass of wine, buying that top you don't really need, checking Facebook or Twitter, opening your email program ... Pay attention before, during and after any actions that arise without clear intention.