Acts of Love that Your Body Needs and the Power of Yoga
How do you love your body now when you’d rather be slimmer, trimmer and more in shape?
You might be surprised when I tell you it starts with loving the body you have! The word yoga translates to yoke or unite.
This did not come easily for me back in the days before I found yoga. In fact, in my early 20’s I hated my body. I was always an active fit kid even into my teens, but by the time I was a junior in high-school, I started gaining weight. In college my weight became a constant source of frustration. It didn’t help that my best girlfriend was fit-as-a-fiddle with beautiful, lean, tan legs and mine were fat and full of cellulite! I hated my legs!
Apparently, so did my boyfriend.
I’ll never forget the night we were walking on the beach when he dropped a truth-bomb on me. He looked me in the eyes and said, “You have the most beautiful face but your legs are fat and that is a real turn-off for me.”
I was devastated! I couldn’t believe he said that to me.
I was disgusted with him and my body. I yo-yo dieted and worked out in fits and spurts with little or no weight loss results. I felt angry and depressed about how I looked. I ate pints of Chunky Monkey ice-cream and went out drinking with friends which kept the weight on. The downward cycle ensued.
Thank God, I found yoga…
Through the beautiful practice of yoga I embraced my curves and began to experience a new relationship with my body. I began practicing self-love and appreciation; I changed on the inside and the outside.
Loving your body doesn’t mean you throw your health goals to the wind and continue reaching for the Ben and Jerry’s. No, loving your body is a shift in how you care for your body internally and externally. You begin getting the body you want by treating your body with kindness and compassion. The process actually starts in your mind!
Yoga is a lifestyle and a mindfulness practice. It isn’t a fad diet and it isn’t about weight loss. It’s about balance. When you step into the world of yoga, you step into self-discovery. You learn about what makes you tick, your dreams and desires. You learn that yoga is a mind-body-heart-and soul system.
The practice inspires you to take good care of your body by adopting a diet rich in superfoods, veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes, and to practice clearing negative self talk while adopting a positive mindset.
It all begins on your yoga mat, moving your body, tuning into your breath, and falling in love with you and, yes, your body.
Yoga teaches you that every moment is a gift, even the more difficult ones. Through the lens of yoga you see the miracle of your body and you begin to treat it with kindness, compassion, and care. This is the path to creating health habits that last and become the norm for you.
You really can have the body you want. Your body wants to be in its best shape.
Are you ready to get the body you want?
Start today by choosing one of the following acts of love:
- Nourish your body with a healthy meal.
- Get out in nature for a brisk walk!
- Cut back or omit one of the following: sugar, alcohol, wheat, or caffeine
- Start a 15-minute home practice
- When you hear negative self-talk, shout “Stop” and plug in a positive affirmation.
