Overcoming Cravings through Mindfulness, a Guided Meditation

Cravings can feel intense... like waves that rise and crash, demanding our attention. Whether it’s food, substances, technology, or habits, these urges can easily pull us out of alignment with our values. But mindfulness offers a powerful path toward greater awareness, resilience, and choice.

In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, we offer a guided meditation to help you observe cravings without judgment and respond with clarity and compassion. Rather than pushing cravings away or giving in, this practice supports you in riding the wave of the urge—grounded in presence and empowered by choice.

In This Guided Meditation, You Will Be Invited To:

✔ Recognize the physical and emotional sensations of cravings

✔ Cultivate a non-judgmental awareness of urges as they arise

✔ Visualize cravings as passing waves in the vast ocean of your awareness

✔ Anchor your attention in the breath and body to create space between urge and action

✔ Reaffirm that you are not your cravings—you are the awareness observing them

Whether you’re a mindfulness teacher, therapist, or practitioner seeking support in your personal journey, this meditation offers a practical and compassionate way to manage cravings with mindfulness.

🌿 Return to this meditation anytime you feel pulled by craving—and remember the peace and strength that already lives within you.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
This might be sittingcross-legged, lying down, or in
a chair.
Ensure that your body is relaxedand your mind is ready to focus.
Close your eyes and take a fewdeep calming breaths.

(00:26):
The purpose of today'smindfulness meditation is to
cultivate a sense of inner peaceand resilience against cravings.
Cravings, as we all know, can bepowerful and sometimes
overwhelming.

They can take many forms: cravings for food, for shopping, (00:45):
undefined
for substances, or even forcertain behaviors.
The mindfulness technique wewill practice today will help
you to acknowledge thesecravings without letting them
control your actions oremotions.

(01:10):
Before we start, let's take amoment to understand that our
cravings are not inherently bad.
They are natural impulses thatarise in response to various
triggers.
However, when these cravingsstart to dominate our thoughts

(01:30):
and behaviors, they can becomeproblematic.
Now let's begin our mindfulnessmeditation.

(02:00):
Take a slow deep breath in.
Hold it for a moment, thenexhale slowly.
With each breath, let your bodyrelax a little more.
Allow your mind to focus on yourbreathing and nothing else.

(02:22):
Feel the air enter and leaveyour body.
Be present in this moment, awareof your existence, your
breathing, your body.
As your mind begins to quiet,acknowledge any thoughts that
may arise.

(02:43):
These thoughts could be aboutyour day, about your worries, or
about your cravings.
Do not judge these thoughts ortry to push them away.
Simply notice them as if you arean observer, watching them float

(03:03):
by like clouds in the sky.
Now turn your attention to thesensation of your cravings.
It could be a physicalsensation, like hunger, or a
mental desire, like the urge tocheck your phone.

(03:25):
Notice how this craving feels inyour body and in your mind.
Where do you feel it moststrongly?
What emotions does it bring up?
As you continue to breathedeeply, remind yourself that

(03:46):
this craving is just asensation.
It's not good or bad, it simplyis.
It's part of your humanexperience, and like all
experiences, it's temporary.
When the craving starts to feeloverwhelming, return your focus

(04:09):
to your breath.
Imagine your breath as a gentlebreeze blowing the craving away.
With each exhale, the cravingbecomes a little less powerful,
a little less urgent.

(04:30):
Now visualize your craving as awave in the ocean.
It rises, it peaks, and then itcrashes and disappears.
You are the ocean, vast anddeep, and the craving is just a
wave.

(04:50):
It comes and goes, but itdoesn't define you.
It can't control you unless youlet it.
Continue to breathe deeply andcalmly, watching the waves of
your cravings rise and fall.

(05:11):
You might notice that the wavesbecome smaller and less frequent
as you continue to observe themwithout judgment or fear.
As you meditate, remember thatyour thoughts are not you.
They are simply thoughts,transient and changeable.

(05:34):
Your cravings are not youeither.
They are sensations that comeand go like waves in the ocean.
This mindfulness technique is atool that you can use anytime,
anywhere, to manage yourcravings.

(05:55):
By observing your cravingswithout judgment, you can learn
to ride the waves instead ofbeing swept away by them.
Feel free to continue in thismeditation as long as you like.
A gentle chime will ring if yourtimer ends.

(06:17):
You are in control of yourexperience.
The waves of your cravings can'tcontrol you unless you let them.
You have the power to choose howyou respond to your cravings,
and that is a powerfulrealization.

(06:40):
As you continue your mindfulnesspractice, remember that you are
not your thoughts, you are notyour cravings, you are the vast
and deep ocean that containsthem.
In your daily life, whenever younotice a craving arise, take a
moment to pause and observe it.

(07:04):
Remember that you have the powerto choose how you respond.
With continued practice,mindfulness can become a
powerful tool in your journeytowards greater peace and
resilience.
Stay in this meditative state aslong as you need.

(07:27):
Remember the feeling of peaceand power within you.
Carry this feeling with youthroughout your day and know
that you can return to it anytime you need to.
May you be free from suffering.

(07:50):
May you be free from cravings.
May you be at peace.