Who is eating your meal? Is it the capable adult that you truly are or your alter ego? More times than not it is our alter ego, also known as Archetypes. We are all made up of various archetypes, some are strong and capable while others hold us back. Which ones are leading your life? Which one is at the table with you more times than you care to admit?
Caroline Myss, in her book Archetypes, states that archetypes “are impersonal patterns of consciousness that form the essence of human nature.” Meaning, our experiences and moods create a response in our soul (mind-heart-emotions) which results in a particular behavior.
The events of the day can lead to eating irresponsibly. The boost into princess or prince archetype, the ones that say “this is what I want and I want it now”, could be caused by an upsetting conversation or not feeling like you performed your best in your presentation. It could be any experience that caused injury to your ego. The alter-ego can also show up under different moods. When feeling depressed, the ego tends to say “so what, who cares, it doesn’t matter.”
Well, it does matter. It matters because in that one moment, that one, very short moment, all the hard work and good intentions in reaching what you want to attain were just set aside because of the Queen/King. The responsible adult in you decided not to stand up and step in; the princess/prince won that battle. How many times will you let the princess/prince win before you say “I’m done?”
The question is, how do you use this information for weight loss?
Simple.
Every time before you begin to eat, ask yourself the question, “Who is eating?” Slow down enough to care what answer is revealed. Breathe in the acknowledgement of who it is, and if it is an archetype that isn’t serving you, release the experience that triggered the archetype to show up in the first place.
Sit there and breathe for several breaths until the stressed feeling that the experience brought on dissipates. It may take several minutes until the responsible adult shows up at the table. Be patient. Once you get the hang of this, the body is capable of switching gears in 60 seconds, it takes practice but it is doable.
Archetypes are fun and a great way to get to know “you” a little bit better; see who shows up during your day, during your various experiences. Practice when you are at the table by putting the empowered adult who is responsible for their actions in charge of the meal.
For more information on these personas and how they affect eating and living behaviors, check out Ashly’s group programs.
Armor Up and Elevation Soul-Set Bootcamps and 12 weeks to END your Struggle.
Interesting! I just experienced this! I was agitated and felt out of control of a situation and ate a candy bar so fast it made my head spin. I’m going to try your exercise and breathe for 60 seconds and see if i can gain control. Thanks, Ashly!