Taming the “Wanting Mind”: How to Break the Cycle of Cravings Have you ever stood in front of an open refrigerator, knowing you want something but not knowing what? You scan the shelves, land on that leftover chocolate cake, and eat it. Maybe all of it. And yet afterward, you still feel unsatisfied only now you’re also uncomfortable, guilty, and frustrated. According to psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher Sasha T. Loring, author of Eating with Fierce Kindness, this experience is a classic example of what she calls “the wanting mind.” The wanting mind is a state of fundamental dissatisfaction a restless sense that something is missing, even when our basic needs have already been met. It’s this state that often drives cravings. Where Cravings Come From Cravings can arise for many reasons: Food sensitivities or allergies Lack of sleep Nutrient deficiencies Stress or emotional overwhelm But Loring points out that cravings aren’t only…

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Will Durant, summarizing what Aristotle had to say on the subject of habits What does it mean to develop good habits? What does it mean - and what are the effects of - having a "bad" habit? Let's start with a more personal perspective: It was decades ago, an unseasonably hot spring day in a high school chemistry class. Along with my fellow students, I was already having trouble concentrating on the droning voice of our dour teacher, Mr. Barkley, when a loud motorcycle came roaring to a stop right outside our window. Eager for distraction, we rushed to the open window and saw a cyclist dressed from head to toe in black leather. He'd stopped to pick up, of all people, a nun in full traditional garb. As she hopped on the back of the motorcycle, and it sped away, we students were amazed and delighted to hear Mr. Barkley sigh and remark in his usual dry monotone, "I guess it's all right as l…