Urge Surfing
This practice is designed to shift our relationship to experiences of cravings or urges to react unskillfully (e.g., use substances) from one of fear or resistance to that of “being with” in a curious and kind way. The exercise invites us to explore the many elements of craving or urges, observing first the physical sensations as well as the accompanying thoughts and urges, dismantling an often overwhelming experience that might typically elicit reactivity, feelings of defeat or fear, or attempts to control the experience. We practice a curious, compassionate approach versus a habitual or automatic reaction. We are invited to look “underneath” or “behind” the craving; underlying the overwhelming desire for a substance is often a deeper need— perhaps relief from challenging emotions or a desire for joy, peace, or freedom.
Mountain Meditation
When we experience being hooked or triggered, we can feel quite unstable. Similarly, practicing Urge Surfing can elicit challenging experiences and emotions. It can be very helpful to have a stabilizing and grounding practice for these times. The Mountain Meditation practice, adapted from a practice used by Jon Kabat-Zinn, involves visualizing a mountain and calling to mind qualities of stability, strength, and dignity. Practicing with the Mountain invites the experience of embodying these qualities as our own and experiencing a sense of poise and solidity, even in the face of changing situations and inner states. If you have challenges imagining yourself as the mountain, please feel free to play with the metaphor, modifying it as needed. Picturing the mountain is just a vehicle to contact an experience of the qualities it holds, and to recognize these same qualities in ourselves. For those with difficulties visualizing, they might let go of efforts to find an image and instead simply invite in the qualities of rootedness, dignity, and strength.