Stay Attuned ™: The E-zine for Nourishing ConnectionsYour journey to freedom from food and weight struggles presents an opportunity for not only a new relationship with food, but also a new relationship with yourself and others. Ultimately, it is a journey of nourishing connections with yourself, others--and yes--even food. Stay Attuned™ is committed to supporting you in this journey and to helping you develop nourishing connections that will last a lifetime. Remember, a journey always starts with one small step.... From fellow travelers,
Nourishing Nuggets“Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer.” ~ Shunryu Suzuki “Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.” ~ Pauline R. Kezer “Nothing endures but change.” ~ From Lives of the Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius Reflections for Staying Attuned When we expect satisfaction from things that change, we often end up with an inner emptiness--a feeling of emotional hunger.
If we slow down and pay attention, we find that things are always changing. For instance, the scale is constantly shifting, giving us different numbers. The food that tasted so good yesterday doesn’t quite hit the spot today. The number of calories that worked last week leaves us hungry and unsatisfied today. Still, we seek the perfect eating program, the perfect weight, the perfect body shape. This is not surprising when we consider the weight loss plans that promise lasting happiness, or the beauty products that promise eternal youth and beauty. They are everywhere, and it is easy for us to absorb these messages without even thinking. This results in constant pressure to seek weight loss and beauty, which we think will make us happy, and to ignore the truth of impermanence. This focus causes suffering and emotional hunger. Looking closely at suffering, we see that it is not all alike. Some is inevitable, and some is optional. Inevitable suffering is the result of changes that are beyond our control--sickness and loss, for instance; or the pain associated with eating to uncomfortable fullness when not paying attention. Rather than accept that we are uncomfortable, and that this will pass, we get upset with how much we ate. We suffer. Consider the above example of eating while not paying attention and then feeling uncomfortable. Rather than getting mad, what would happen if we accepted the fact that we are physically uncomfortable and instead focused on the knowledge that this uncomfortable feeling will pass? We could further recognize that if we are kind and compassionate with ourselves, and get back to eating when hungry and quitting when satisfied, there will be no weight gain from this overeating episode. With this new thinking, there is almost no suffering! And, likely, the uncomfortable feeling will be more tolerable! We can begin to heal inner emptiness and emotional hunger by noticing when we are expecting satisfaction from things that change and then working to shift our reactions. Stay Attuned TipToday, pay attention to your eating and food goals. Pick one goal, and say it aloud. Now, make it smaller. And then make it smaller again. Now, restate the goal aloud. If you can, make it smaller still. When you can truly no longer make the goal smaller, then you have found the step that matters. Stay Attuned Affirmation "I flow with the changes in my life." What's New at Nourishing ConnectionsCassie Hessler-Smith, PhD, a therapist specializing in eating disorders and trauma recovery in Gainesville, Florida has made her handout, ___________________ available to us online for the next month (until 3/17/06). Download it at http://www.nourishingconnections.com/stay_attuned_tools.htm. Feedback and ClosingWelcome to our new subscribers, and hello to current members! Stay Attuned™ exists for you. If you have ideas for topics or feedback (did you try an idea? how did it go?), please write us at ideas@nourishingconnections.com. Spread the WordFeel free to forward this E-zine to others. We just ask that you keep the E-zine intact, including contact and copyright information. For any other use, written permission is required. And thank you for sharing Stay Attuned™! Subscribe or UnsubscribeTo subscribe (to join), email join-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. To unsubscribe (be removed from list), email leave-stayattuned@list.nourishingconnections.com. Delivery Problems If you experience delivery problems, check here. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stay Attuned™ is written by Karin Kratina, PhD, RD © Copyright 2006. Dr. Karin Kratina and Amy Tuttle. All rights reserved. ~~~~~ DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to constitute a professional relationship between Karin or Amy or the reader, nor is it intended as therapy or counseling. Be sure to consult a qualified professional if you require medical or psychological services. |