Craving Popcorn

BODY AWARENESS
(cont.)

Body awareness isn’t just for trauma—it’s also powerful for cravings. I’ll give an example from an encounter I had with Eckhart Tolle. Originally from Germany, he lives in my hometown, Vancouver, and on Salt Spring Island where I live now. I’ve met him several times; now and then I run into him on the car-ferry from Vancouver to Salt Spring. Lovely, unassuming man, and you can tell he speaks from deep.

At a 2001 talk he gave about equanimity, I put up my hand and shared an experience: I had a craving for hot, buttered popcorn. But it was 7:30pm; I knew I should do my Yoga, meditate 20 minutes, and have a proper meal.

“No way,” said my mind. “Come on; it’s just a bowl of popcorn; you had a tough day.”

The craving was strong. I thought, “This is enslavement.”

So, I decided not to decide. I just sat on my yoga mat and watched the battle in my brain to see what would happen.

The arguments heated up, one side pushing me to the kitchen, the other in a snit about self-control. I was salivating; energy coursed through my body. Still, I sat, favoring neither having nor not having the popcorn, neither resisting nor allowing.

This went on for almost three long hours (not easy. I didn’t think I had that much self-control). And then it broke; the sensations and thoughts as though gave up, and I was left sitting quietly.

Eckhart interjected, “And then it didn’t matter if you had the popcorn or not, right?”

“Yes!” I said. “I was just going to say that. I didn’t want or not want popcorn anymore, and since it was late, I just went to bed.”

Eckhart turned to the group and said, “What this man just said—add this to your spiritual practice.”

~ John