It’s Time to Appreciate Yourself.
Hello dear people! How has daylight savings time been treating you all? I don’t know about you, but this month has served a few juicy health challenges to yours truly, and I have STRUGGLED: questioning myself, feeling frustration with my body, and disappointment when I don’t feel like a total powerhouse. Does this sound familiar? Maybe you check all the boxes: exercise, eat clean, meditate, journal, take vitamins, etc, but are still experiencing tough moments of brain fog, exhaustion, anxiety. It’s easy to feel like we’re not doing enough, or that “perfect” progress is always just out of reach. In fact, this is the most common sentiment that I hear from friends, family, clients, and the nagging voice in my own head (truth!).
I’m currently taking an 8-week master-class with one of my most cherished teachers, Gabby Bernstein. The experience is gorgeous, tough, and magical. Something she mentioned early on hit home: what I am teaching is exactly what I need to be learning. So stuff I share today is what I need to hear myself, and you can trust that I will be practicing this with you, every step of the way.
Grab a piece of paper, my friend! Take a moment to find stillness, and then consider writing about your Magnificant Body. Maybe it helps to set a timer, to focus a certain amount of time on this practice, and then you can let it go. Or not, it’s up to you. Think about this body that works so hard for you. Feelings of anger and frustration may arise, and that’s so okay. Yet consider committing to this loving ritual of acceptance. Appreciate your resilient and amazing body. Say “thank you”. Maybe whisper it to yourself like a prayer. Take a break from self-critique and comparisons.
Each day that we get to wake up is a total gift. As a cancer and Lyme disease survivor, I still have to remind myself of this truth sometimes. Because life hands us some rough moments. Focusing on what our body is doing well can be a beautiful experience. During this writing practice, you may be surprised with what arises for you. Nothing is silly, no feeling of gratitude is insignificant. Maybe you got through a long week at work. Maybe you were able to sit up in bed by yourself. Maybe you had the energy to cook yourself a tasty meal. Or get through some items on your to-do list. “Thank you, precious body”.
And perhaps a judgmental voice pops into your head while you’re doing this exercise. Consider softly saying “thank you for sharing” and move on. This is a practice. This is progress, not perfection. Perhaps you can try doing this daily or semi-frequently, to become accustomed to honoring yourself. I’ll leave you with a thought: During a recent lecture, meditation teacher and psychologist Tara Brach posed the question “Who would I be if I didn’t believe something is wrong with me?”. Tell me sweet friends, who would you be?
