LOVE YOUR BODY

Diet and exercise. That’s the key to good health, right? Whether you want to achieve a full body transformation or simply want to feel better, the majority of health experts teach that health begins and ends with what you put in your body and how often you move it. While I do not wish to diminish the importance of these two components, I would like to encourage another approach: Instead of exclusively focusing on how your body feels, try focusing on how you feel about your body.

Perception drives function in your body. What you sense in your life and how you feel about it communicates to your body what it needs to do in that moment. Feelings of jealousy, anger, judgement and shame create an entirely different environment than would feelings of gratitude, inspiration and love. These positive feelings support a physiology conducive to rest, the absorption of nutrients, healing, hormonal regulation, reproduction, growth and higher brain function.

Try loving your body like you would love another person. Below is one of my favorite exercises created by a truly inspirational researcher, Dr. Hue Len.

Talk to your body. Say to it: “I love the way you are. Thank you for being with me. If you have felt abused by me in any way, please forgive me.” Stop now and then during the course of the day to visit with your body. Let that visit be one of love and thankfulness. “Thank you for conveying me about. Thank you for breathing, for the beating of our heart.”

See your body as a partner in life, not as a servant. Treat it and appreciate it as you would a friend. And remember to keep it active and feed it lots of nutritious food and plenty of water.