Taking Care of Our Longing
Hello everyone! I hope you find today’s show helpful and I hope that you’ll download the episode, share it with your friends, and review it on Apple podcasts.
Today we are exploring longing. When we long for something we desire it with intensity. There is a lot of energy behind it. Going underneath our longing allows us to see exactly what our need is and how best to work with it skillfully.
Longing has been described as attachment… something that we can’t let go of. In some cases this is true. It is true when longing is craving and addiction. But sometimes longing points to wholesome needs—the need for connection and communication, the need for creative time and space, or the need for food and shelter.
Often the longing itself is not the need. We have to look underneath the longing to find it. We may long for a cup of tea. Underneath the longing is a need to quench our thirst or warm our belly against the cold. It is helpful to ask ourselves, “What is this longing all about?’ “What need is this longing pointing to?” If we don’t uncover the need, we might run off satisfying the longing and not the need leaving us feeling unsatisfied.
Longing carries with it an abundance of energy. Recognize how that energy is manifesting. Is this energy constructive? Or, destructive? It is wise to be on the lookout for impatience. Impatience can signal craving and addiction. It can signal the presence of obstacles that we first must be willing to unwind. It can signal the lack of patience—the ability to stay with something and focus.
Our mindfulness practices are the tools we use to be with whatever is happening in the moment and are particularly helpful when longing is present.
This week, I invite you to spend time with your longings. Be mindful. Be curious and non-judging. Let your body be the conduit to the mind. Don’t try to analyze. Recognize what is happening now. Acknowledge it. Feel how it feels in the body. And, let it show it what it is needing. Then acknowledge and sit with the need and let it show you what wants to come forward. In this way, you will gain clarity about the longing and about which actions are skillful.
Thank you for listening. I so appreciate you and also appreciate the people behind the scenes who make this podcast possible.
Gorgias Romero for original music, audio engineering and production;
Bill Rafferty for technical web support;
Allie Allen for logo and podcast cover design; and
Margaret Haas for announcing the show
Be well. Be mindful.
DISCLAIMER
The content in the podcast and on this webpage is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice and guidance of your health professional.
