It was only recently that I realised how much my physical body was lacking love. I had worked so hard on loving the person I was spiritually, mentally, working on my identity, releasing stories and pains -but I missed the part where I needed to love my body.
There’s a lot going on in life, it can be so easy to forget about the millions of absolutely magical things about it. Like the simple fact that our bodies do every single thing that they do – so we can live, heal, thrive and love.
Let me say that again. Our bodies do everything they do, for us. Our bodies do everything they do so that we can live, heal, thrive and love. Our bodies love us. Our bodies want us to thrive. It’s the mind that cuts that love off.
I often think back to about 5 years ago – I was riddled with body shame and obsessed with calories, scales and exercise. Every single day, for most of the day, my mind was filled with thoughts about how much I hated my body, how that hate was needed in order to motivate myself to change it.
Not surprisingly, a few years into this I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. At the time I was so taken back – I always monitored my food, I was a healthy weight, I exercised, how could I be sick?!
I was watching a documentary on Netflix called ‘Healed’ (p.s. 1000% recommend) a week or so ago, and it got me thinking about what lesson I needed to learn when I was first diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. For the first time in my life, it was loud, and it was clear – I needed to love myself, mentally, spiritually, and physically. For the first time in my life, it is so obvious why I got sick. You can’t expect a plant go grow if you give it no water. You can’t expect a child to thrive if you give it no love. Just like you can’t expect your body to function properly, let alone thrive, if you give it no love.
When you decide to love and respect your body, the choices you make for your body change. In my case, you’re no longer counting calories from a place of fear, or binging from a place of hatred. You’re eating foods that you know your body is craving, doing things that your body needs, because that’s what you do when you love anything or anyone – you do what’s best for it.
If you’re dealing with any health issues, any body shame, or have realised that you’re lacking in some love, please stop and reflect on the magical and simple fact that your body is here for you. It is because of your body that your spiritual self can exist in the physical world. It’s the reason you can enjoy the taste of food, have sex, listen and dance to music, pat animals (so important!), laugh, smell, have children! Appreciate your body, every single day. Thank your body, every single day. Respect your body, every single day. Make choices that help your body. LOVE your body.
dedicated to my body –
I am so sorry for the years of hate, for every day holding shame instead of marvelling at your beauty and magic. I am so ready to flood you with love. I am so ready to give you what you have been craving and needing in order to heal and thrive.
