Take a moment right now to listen to your body. Notice the sensations as you sit in the chair. Feel the weight of your body against the surface that supports you. Here is your strong spine. There is your soft belly. Feel the breath as air moves past your nostrils, down your windpipe, and into your lungs. After you inhale, there is a little gap and then the exhale happens without any effort. Breathing in, breathing out, what a miracle!
Slowing down and appreciating one body function, like the breath, is one way to move from criticizing your body to befriending it. Here are 9 more ways to move from criticism to compassion:
- Listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs and wants.
- Get enough rest. Most of us are sleep deprived. Experiment (maybe during a vacation) to see how much downtime you need to feel really rested. Find a way to give herself the time you need.
- Eat good food. It doesn’t have to be expensive but treat yourself to food that is good for your health (not too much fat or sugar), good for the planet (plant-based and locally produced), and delicious. Learning to cook is fun and helps.
- Move your body. Almost everyone can do some movement. From gentle stretching, to walking, to running, or fancier sports, our bodies feel best when they get to move.
- Let go of comparison and society’s ideas about what a body should be… Redefine what’s beautiful and desirable.
- Practice positive self-talk. Be supportive and kind in the ways you think about and act towards your body.
- Treat your body as a supportive partner rather than an ornament or enemy.
- Practice mindfulness through deep breathing, body scans, and engaging in joyful activities.
- Engage in joyful activities to build a stronger, more trusting relationship with yourself.
The lyric from Mumford & Sons reminds us “In these bodies we will live. In these bodies we will die.
And where you invest your love, you invest your life.”
Be kind to yourself and invest wisely.
In your journal:
- What are some of society’s ideas about what a body should be that have affected you?
- What ways of body movement have you tried? What did you like or not like about them?
- Choose one from the list above and write a plan for including it in your life.