One of the most common themes with my clients struggling with eating issues is anxiety and/or an inability to tolerate strong feelings. It is fairly common to use eating, not eating, purging, excessive exercise, and/or obsession with controlling body size as a way to cope with anxiety and uncomfortable feelings. Learning the skill of calming you mind and tolerating emotional discomfort is essential in both preventing, and recovering from, disordered eating of all types.
"The same mind that can create such harsh judgments is capable of undoing them through the power of awareness and attention."
This article by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche summarizes the process of developing awareness very well:
Step one: The Main Exercise
- stage one: just notice and identify what you’re thinking or feeling
- stage two: meditative awareness - approaching thoughts and emotions as objects of focus through which we can stabilize awareness, again without judgement
- stage three: intuitive “tuning in” to determine the effect of the practice
Step two: Try Something Different
Applying attention to smaller emotions—or simply focusing on form, sound, or physical sensations—develops your capacity to look at long-term, overwhelming emotional states.
Step three: Step Back
If an emotion or a disturbing state of mind is too painful to look at directly, seek the underlying condition that holds it in place. You may be surprised at what you discover. You may find fear of the emotion, as I did. You may find some other type of resistance, such as a lack of confidence in even trying to work with emotions. You may find small events, triggers that signal or reinforce a broader emotional response
Step four: Take a Break
Similarly, when you practice, even though you have clear instructions and you understand the importance of effort and intention, you can experience fatigue, irritation, dullness, or hopelessness because your mental, emotional, and physical “reservoir” is empty.
http://www.tricycle.com/dharma-talk/the-aim-attention
