We receive the cultural message that our body is an inanimate object, a thing that belongs to us, which we can manipulate for our own goals.
But our body is not an inanimate object. It is a wise, living being.
We don’t own our body, we’re in relationship with our body. That can be a manipulative and abusive relationship. Or it can be a loving, supportive partnership.
Loving our body isn’t just accepting how we look in a swimsuit or being happy with how we look. That’s a positive side effect of loving our body, but it’s not the main point.
In today’s video, I share three ways you can create a more loving partnership with your body.
If you take one thing away from this video, remember this:
Loving our body is not about making it look a different way, it’s about looking at our body in a different way.
Wonderful insight;
you’re not the only one on such a path;
lovely inside and out;
thanks for sharing!
So much poise and authenticity in delivering such a critical message. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you so much, Naomi, I appreciate your kind words.
Well said.
Very important step in the healing process.
Since 2011 I’ve been on a healing journey. I started with the GAPS diet, not to lose weight but to heal a leaky gut as well as a series of auto-immune symptoms that were causing a break down of health. Along the way I’ve had to examine old wounds from my past, all the way back to my infancy and maybe even prenatal. This kind of talk definitely causes others to pause in their relationship to me. It’s okay though; even a little fun as you say. Its a journey that I’m still on. You’re a beautiful woman and I’m happy for you that you have your life ahead of you to stay in a positive relationship with your body.
Thank you for this I needed to hear it! I’m trying to love my body and learning how to nurture and heal it with patience and love ❤️
Great video! Honest, sincere without “sugar-coating” so to speak! I appreciate that very much!
Just like other relationships in life, there may be times when one will dislike their body. Keep loving it though! Keep it healthy! Aaaaand….. a treat once in a while doesn’t hurt;-)
Thank you Lauren for this wonderful message. I will remember this, its so important.
Agree 100%. Cannot thank you enough!!!!!
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad to hear this resonated with you!
Wow. I know God put this in front of my face this morning. Lots of times I am too busy to read all my messages but this one called to me. I want to love my body but I haven’t figured out how to do that. I know I need to but every morning when I get up I look in the mirror and unfortunately my mood, my confidence, and my list of foods/activities are based on what I see. I’m not anorexic or bulemic but I definitely have issues. My husband and my family tell me I’m beautiful all the time but I’m never good enough for me. I really would like to stop worrying about food, my weight, and exercise all the time. I want to but I can’t. I wish I knew what to do.
Janice,
I’m not sure whether this helps any, but I wanted to share something my husband told me early on in our marriage: “Your one-and-only body, your particular, unique face- these are gifts from God to you: custom-made and deemed beautiful and special to Him. To despise and reject this gift is to, in essence, tell God that His gift is not good enough for you.” I choked on those words for some time. I didn’t want to be ungrateful, but at the same time (as Lauren mentioned) I was so steeped in common culture that I couldn’t stop disliking nearly everything about my physical self. I finally decided I would try to pick the one thing I least hated about my appearance and focus on that. As sad as this sounds, my eyes were the only thing I didn’t hate (although I felt they were too small!). So, I started wearing eye makeup every day to distract me from ALL the other things until I could learn to dislike them less… and as silly as it sounds, it helped. Little by little, over time, I have learned to appreciate what I have been given. Do I still have flaws? Sure! Crooked teeth, acne-prone skin, stretch-marks, and a figure that only a tummy-tuck could “correct” to the perfection of our society’s beauty standard… But- as Lauren said, that standard ISN’T REAL. It’s a long journey sometimes, but you can learn to love the quirky, unique YOU that IS REAL. It took me nearly ten years to fully break the cycle (I’m a very slow study), but I finally can love what I see in the mirror. And if I am disturbed by what I see (acne, dark circles, excessive wrinkles…), like a loving partner- I try to pamper it a little more- and cut myself a break!
Sarah, thank you for your thoughtful, vulnerable, and beautiful comment! I love what your husband said, and I appreciate hearing your journey to body love.
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been following your blog for some years now, and it is a terrific reminder of why I started the journey to a radical natural lifestyle- to reclaim the health & happiness that *should* come naturally! Keep up the awesome work. 😉
Thank you Sarah, that does help. I know I’ve got a long way to go but I guess the first step is to admit it. Now I’m going to pray and ask God to help me, something I should have done a long time ago. I get mad at myself sometimes because when the light finally comes on I’m like “duh” why didn’t I just ask the only one who can help me with this!!!! We have not because we ask not.
I know what you mean… we get so distracted we often miss the most obvious solution to our problems! Keep praying, and remember that this body-love thing is something you will develop and grow into over time. Old habits and patterns don’t change overnight, but as long as you remain mindful and keep trying- you WILL get there!
Janice, I know what you mean… we get so distracted we often miss the most obvious solution to our problems! Keep praying, and remember that this body-love thing is something you will develop and grow into over time. Old habits and patterns don’t change overnight, but as long as you remain mindful and keep trying- you WILL get there!
Janice, I appreciate your comment because it is a reminder to me that I’m doing the work I need to do. I hear your challenge when you say, “I wish I knew what to do” and I’m writing a book with the intention of supporting you and others who are asking that.
That’s good news. I look forward to reading that! Thank you for what you do 🙂
Good stuff! As someone who has been through an eating disorder, I can relate to much of your message. The ability to be at peace with your uniqueness is so important and something I am learning every day. It is a daily choice and something I have to remind myself of often. I find that the more I act in ways that are in harmony with my values, my thoughts, my emotions, the healthier and better I feel.