OUR OWN RECOVERY - Buddha

We engage in individual practices of meditation and inquiry to help us cultivate compassion, kindness, forgiveness and renunciation of our harmful and repetitive behaviors with food.

Inquiry

• Can we see the evidence of our deepest wisdom and resilience that brought us to this path?

• Can we cultivate a connection to our deepest intentions of curiosity, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity and equanimity?

BUDDHIST TEACHINGS - Dharma

We learn about, and apply the teachings around the Four Noble Truths and the Eighfold Path to our recovery from harmful and repetitive actions with food. We learn from the examples of other Buddhist people in their path of awakening.

Inquiry

• Which teachings serve as doorways or portals we can use to enter and engage with this practice?

• Is it possible, with curiosity, practice and study, to continually deepen our understanding of Buddhist Teachings?

DHARMA FRIENDS - Sangha

We cultivate Dharma Friendships with others who are also healing their relationship with food. We attend meetings, make outreach texts and calls, set up individual time, and join smaller groups that focus on skillfulness with food through chats, FB or Slack.

Inquiry

• How do we recognize and cultivate dharma friendships that are supportive and healing?

• How can engaging in dharma friendships cultivate an expanded capacity for wise speech, wise action and generosity?

TRUTH

1. We recognize that we share the experience of engaging in harmful and repetitive behaviors, with and around, food and nutrition.

2. We deepen our understanding to see that one of the causes of our suffering is our unrealistic wish that life would be different than it is right now and the seemingly conflicting belief that this moment will last forever.

3. We learn, and cultivate hope, that there is tranquility, joy, and freedom to be found through Buddhist teachings, practices and community.

4. We deepen our understanding of Buddhist teachings and engage in practices, as related to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

Inquiry

• Can I utilize curiosity and compassion to explore and sit with difficulties such a craving, resentment, anxiety, and doubt?

• With the support of the teachings, can deepen my understanding of how my harmful and repetitive behaviors cause or contribute to my difficulties?

• With the support of community can I begin to explore patterns of harm

  • Can we envision what a practice of renunciation might look like?

  • Can we recognize ways that we have already demonstrated hope, resilience and wisdom in relation to our harmful and repetitive behaviors in the past or in the present?

• In what ways might the Eightfold path serve to deepen and strengthen our practice with letting go of harmful and repetitive behaviors?

UNDERSTANDING

Through study, inquiry and mediation, we deepen our understanding that:

1. Everything in life is impermanent

2. Everything that is happening in this moment results from the causes and conditions that precede it

3. The story that we tell ourselves, and others, about our relationship with food is not a solid and unchanging as it seems at first glance

We take time and make space to inquire with curiosity and specificity around our relationship with and behaviors around food.

Inquiry

• How might the teaching of Impermanence help with cravings and recovery?

• Can I bring a sense of compassion and forgiveness to my pas actions that led me to engage in harmful and repetitive behaviors?

• How does holding on to a story line about my self or my actions lead me back to harmful and repetitive behaviors?

• Is there a metaphor from Buddhist teachers that helps me to step back from or begin to loosen my grip on my story about myself and my harmful and repetitive behaviors? (Waves & Ocean | Space Suit | Mountain | Emptiness | Impersonal | Drop the Story line etc.)

INTENTION

1. With support of our community and with inquiry practice we begin to cultivate our connection to our deepest intentions of compassion, kindness and forgiveness

2. With this connection, we are able to look honestly at the unwholesome intentions that fuel our harmful and repetitive behaviors with food

3. With insights from this inquiry, we find ourselves more connected, and able to practice, with honesty, generosity and trust in ourselves, the teachings and in our community

Inquiry

• When we take a moment to sit with ourselves, what intentions are manifesting in our thoughts or behaviors?

• Can we sit with an allow these intentions to be in this moment?

• Can we inquire and deepen our understanding of these intentions?

  • Where are they felt in the body?

  • What do they want or need from us? Is there a deeper intention or need underneath the first ones that presented themselves?

  • How do these intentions manifest or drive our harmful and repetitive behaviors?

• Is it possible to shift our relationship with these intentions?

  • Bring compassion, kindness or forgiveness?

  • Let go of our identifying with them?

  • Continue to listen deeply with insight?

SPEECH

We review and become more familiar with our practices of speech as it applies to food.

1. Are we aware of the intentions of our communication around our harmful and repetitive behaviors?

   • When engaged with our harmful and repetitive behaviors do we practice self-defending, gossiping or attacking?

   • Are there times when the seemingly opposite has been true: That we have we been able to listen to others fully with compassion and kindness before speaking?

2. When has our speech around our harmful and repetitive behaviors been honest / dishonest? Have there been times when it has been been shaped by manipulation, omission, or straight forward lies that that are told to both self and others?

3. Even if it is honest, does engagement with harmful or repetitive behaviors have an impact on tone of speech as harsh or kind, with self and others?

4. Does untimely speech lead to harmful or repetitive behaviors. Does participating in harmful and repetitive behaviors lead to untimely speech?

   • Is it true?

   • Is it kind?

   • Does it need to be said now?

   • Does it need to be said by me?

ACTION

We meditate on teachings about wise action, We explore with curiosity if there is any connection at all and if there are harmful consequences from our relationship with and actions around food

1. Causing harm to living beings

2. Taking the not freely offered

3. Sexual Misconduct

4. Dishonesty

5. Intoxicating substances and behaviors

Because this is such a potentially large shift, we continually bring compassion, forgiveness and kindness to this particular inquiry. We allow time and space for awareness to arise and for change to manifest as is needed.

Inquiry:

1. Are there any harmful behaviors that I have engaged in - the past or present - especially around my harmful and repetitive behaviors?

2. Is it possible for me to begin to shift my relationship with these behaviors through the practice of bringing compassion and forgiveness to myself?

3. Is it possible for me to connect with, remember and cultivate a belief in my deepest intentions of kindness, curiosity, generosity, refuge and equanimity?

4. Can I think of one alternative action to take as a practice of alternative action?

LIVELIHOOD

We learn more about, and inquire if, our paid or service work involves trade that would

• Kill or cause physical harm to living beings

• Kill or trade in living beings

• Buy or sell weapons or poison

• Buy or sell intoxicating substances or activities

We our livelihood does not, we explore if we engage with others whose livelihood depends on harm.

Because this is such a potentially large shift, we continually bring compassion, forgiveness and kindness to this particular inquiry. We allow time and space for awareness to arise and for change to manifest as is needed.

Inquiry:

• In what ways to my paid work, my volunteer work or my engagement with merchants and services for my household result in harmful livelihood for myself and others?

• Do my repetitive behaviors increase this harmful actions?

• Do these harmful livelihood actions increase my repetitive behaviors?

EFFORT

We listen, read, meditate, inquire and check in with friends to deepen our understanding of wise effort.

• Prevent the the arising of new unwholesome thoughts and behaviors

• Become aware of and let go of (renunciation) of unwholesome thoughts and behaviors that have already arisen

• Cultivate, strengthen and expand wholesome thoughts and actions

Like impermanence, these truths at first seem obvious and shallow. Many of us have discovered that leaning into these teachings with curiosity and compassion helps us to explore our own relationship to these fundamental truths.

Inquiry

• What are the unwholesome thoughts and actions that arise as harmful and repetitive behaviors in my life?

• Are there harmful and repetitive behaviors that I would like to practice letting go of?

• Have there been times when I have been able to let go of harmful and repetitive behaviors?

MINDFULNESS

We explore with curiosity, kindness and compassion our experiences through the foundations:

• Body

• Breath

• Emotions

• Thoughts

• Feeling tone

• Mind / Process

As we learn more and engage in practices of meditation and self care, we find that our capacity to allow our experiences to arise and pass. Some of us are surprised to see how much we avoid uncomfortable or neutral body sensations, emotions and thoughts; and conversely how strongly we client to pleasant ones.

Inquiry

• In what way might mindfulness practices help with healing or shifting my relationship with my harmful and repetitive behaviors?

CONCENTRATION

We engage in various practices that help us focus and ground ourselves so that we are more able to allow our experience to arise in the context of compassion and equanimity. some examples include:

• Foundations

• Heart Practices (Intentions)

• Mantras

• Songs

• Reading

• Listening

• Mindful Yoga

• Nature Walks

• DBT Grounding exercises

For foundations: Breath and body sensations start as focuses of concentration, but then unfold and rest in calm, kind awareness

Inquiry

• Are there practices that have been helpful in the past to heal or shift my engagement in or relationship to my harmful and repetitive behaviors?

• Are there practices that I would like to try?

• Can I think of any internal or external resources to support my engaging in new practice activities?

MINDFULNESS Before eating

Five Contemplations

• Plum Village

• Stillwater Meditation Center

Meditations

• Common Ground Meditation Center

• Insight Timer

• Insight Timer

MINDFULNESS While Eating

• Spirit Rock

• InsightLA

BOOKS About Mindful Eating

Remember to check with the local library for paper, electronic and audio versions of these books

• Gesshin Clair Greenwood

• Buddha's Diet

• Google Search Results