Have you ever said to yourself “I love my body”? Until last year, I never had. I didn’t know it was something I should say. It’s a phrase I thought was reserved for vanity and ego. When I was younger, I thought that in the future I would love my body, at a later time whenever I overcame its imperfections. But now that it’s later and I’m in my 30s, I know what it means to overcome the flaws. It isn’t a matter of finding physical perfection, it’s really a matter of letting go of a false perception of your outer-self and valuing the profoundness of your inner-self.
The words came to fruition during my yoga teacher training last July. I was becoming extremely in tune with my self and my body. I had been asking myself “Where am I today? What does my body need in today’s yoga practice?” Most days I would find one word to describe what I needed like “patience” – I need to practice patience in my sequence today. But on this day, seated with my eyes shut, as I was scanning through my self to understand what I was feeling, the words “I love my body” came into focus. I quickly realized that this phrase was brand new to me. I had never in my life freely, openly, confidently, without hesitation or reservations said this. And hearing these words filled me with joy. I finally believed it and would be proud to say it – not out of ego but out of acceptance.
I have said “I love you” and “I love this _” and “I love my _” a million times in my lifetime but I have never directed it back to my self as a whole. Last year I went through a transition where I had to let go of most everything around me and at the end of it, all I had left was the body I was standing in. At that point, my priorities changed. After years spent creating the perfect home, I was getting to know my real house, the one I’ve never moved away from, the one that’s been here this whole time. The house that will be with me until I leave this planet, despite all of the exterior homes I occupy along the way.
I love this body that I live in and it has nothing to do with what it looks like on the outside and everything to do with how powerful it is on its own.
While we each will find different aspects to appreciate in our bodies, something we can all honor is that it’s ALIVE – a living, breathing, extraordinary machine able to sense and move and react and that’s something worth loving. It’s not too late to start appreciating the house you live in. As soon as you do, you will begin to notice all of the structure that’s been in place all of this time, allowing you to do the things you have done in this lifetime.
Try this out – I love my body because…
It is my permanent residence. It is the most familiar thing I know and no matter what or who comes in and out of my life, it will always be my home.
It is my vehicle into the world. Without it I wouldn’t be able to move around from place to place, experiencing all of the incredible sights I’ve witnessed.
It has magical sensors that make me feel alive. I can touch and hear and see and taste and smell. I’m grateful to be able to experience as many of these senses that I’ve been blessed with, and realize the separate irreplaceable power of each.
It allows me to have human connection; to make eye contact, to sense body language, to kiss, to hug, to share laughter, and to experience all the wonderful sensations I can feel when connecting emotionally, spiritually or physically with others.
It can sense danger. It’s aware of my surroundings and has the reflexive powers to protect me.
It is durable and can heal time and time again. Watching my skin return to its previous state after receiving a bruise, scrape or bite is a miracle.
It’s a complicated machine that does so much on its own. Without my assistance, it pumps blood and thinks and moves and breathes simultaneously.
It enables me to do the things that I love; leaving me feeling accomplished and alive after each experience.
Photo credit: Mary Murphy, GlobeKick
