A wonderful article from our friends - Judith Matz, LCSW & Ellen Frankel, LCSW, who emphasis acceptance and compassion around eating and body image:
What if there was a simple practice to help you build your positive experiences with attuned eating? We've been so impressed with the work of Rick Hanson, and we've applied his strategy of "Taking In The Good" at our workshops. Take 30 seconds to give this a try the next time you have an attuned eating experience!
Frequently, people who struggle with issues of overeating use all or nothing thinking, so that a "bad" experience may lead to a belief that nothing is going well in your relationship with food. As with other aspects of life, it's important to deepen and embody your positive experiences as they occur. In our updated edition of Beyond a Shadow of a Diet, we adapt them as follows:
- With your eyes closed, think about a time you were hungry, ate exactly what you were hungry for and stopped when you were full.
- Now, savor the experience as you hold it in your attention for the next 10, 20, or 30 seconds rather than getting distracted by something else. Soften and open to the experience; let it fill your mind; give over to it in your body. The longer something is held in awareness and the more emotionally stimulating it is, the more neurons that fire and thus wire together, and the stronger the trace in implicit memory.
- Intend and sense the experience seeping into you, perhaps as a warm glow spreading through your chest.
As Rick so eloquently explains, "any single time of taking in the good will usually make just a little difference. But over time those little differences will add up, gradually weaving positive experiences into the fabric of your brain and your whole being." This is a wonderful technique to use on your journey to become an attuned eater.
Wishing you a light and breezy season,
All the best,
Judith and Ellen
Judith and Ellen
| Judith Matz, LCSW judithmatz@dietsurvivors.com www.judithmatz.com | Ellen Frankel, LCSW ellenfrankel@dietsurvivors.com www.authorellenfrankel.com |
For more help with loving your body, decreasing your critical inner self, and increasing positive eating and body image experiences, talking to a counselor today can help! We have wonderful psychotherpists at our counseling and wellness center, Another Look at Healing, LLC. For more information, contact us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com, or 240-274-5680 or visit our website at www.HealingLLC.com.
Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director & Psychotherapist
Another Look at Healing, LLC
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