Your Body: Friend or Foe?

I often wonder how many of our body complaints are a result of how we interact with our body.  We might say "it's what's inside that counts" but how much of that is lip service?  In reality, we complain about and criticize our bodies endlessly.  We talk more about what they can't do than what they can.  We poke them, cover them, disguise them, deprive them, force feed them.  We look for problems, expect the worst and deny them pleasures.  We sit them in desks and cars, feed them uppers, downers, packaged and fast foods.  We overwork and abuse them and then get upset when they don't feel well, get sick or break down.  If anyone mistreated me or spoke to me as unkindly as I have to my body, they'd not be in my life for long.

So what can we do to befriend our bodies and create a relationship that really works?  Here's what I have been playing with and observing over the past several years.  It's an ongoing journey that began quite a while ago.

The very earliest stages of this were probably in highschool.  I was new to the area and didn't know many people so had the opportunity to spend many long hours alone in quiet contemplation.  That's when I started to become aware of my body's own healing capacities as well as the gifts of the earth for healing.  Later, during my first year of university, I discovered Reiki and was completely enamoured by the energy body and our ability to interact with it through our touch and our presence.  I studied anything to do with healing, chakras, metaphysics, epigenetics and similar topics voraciously for years.  Eventually I did my yoga teacher training and Eden Energy Medicine Foundations training and learned about meridians and the effects of movement on the energy body.

The more I played with all these tools and information, the more I began to appreciate my body.  I started to speak more kindly to it.  Then I started to walk with it, do yoga with it and move with it.  Until eventually I actually started to enjoy it and admire it/her.  Now I tell my body how amazing it is every day.  I marvel at what strength it has, the endurance and flexibility.  I enjoy movements in each little micro component.  Have you ever just stood up and sat down to experience what that feels like?  Have you ever taken a breath to imagine what it would be like if that was your first breath?  Try it and see what you discover.

My journey in enjoying my body continues as I play with the tools of Access Consciousness.  Now I ask my body what it would like to wear, what it would like to eat, what activity it would like and so on.  I'm learning to listen even more to what my body enjoys and what it doesn't.  Last spring my body asked me to start going to the gym so that's what we did.  We go to the gym together now.  Not because my body is bad and needs to look better or perform better but because it enjoys the movement, it enjoys feeling stronger, more capable and resilient.  I enjoy the people and the classes so we're both happy.

So, in this season of indulging in sweet treats, multi-course meals, bottles of exotic drink why not eat and drink with your body?  What if your body were your partner?  What if it had just as much say about what went in or on it?  What if it were your best friend that you adored and enjoyed?

If you would enjoy a slimmer body why not suggest this to your body and ask how it feels about it's shape?  Ask your body, what kind of movement would you like?  What food would nourish you and make you both feel alive and vibrant?  What would be a kindness to your body and how does your body prefer to be communicated with?

Kindness, Gratitude & Partnership with your amazing body can start today.  I had an amazing anatomy teacher in my yoga teacher training who recommended writing your body a card and giving it flowers.  Now, I recommend that to my students and clients.  Write your beautiful body a card.  Tell it how you feel, appologize for being unkind and tell it what your new intentions are.  Then move forward as equal partners.

Lots of warm squishy hugs to you and your body!

xoxoDarlene