Coming Back to Your Body
Ever wake up and think, “This is not my body”? It’s happened to most of us. One day the toll of the years, or inattention, or discomfort, or disconnection shows up all at once and we find ourselves feeling alienated from our own skin, muscle, bone, nerves, and cells. What can be done when you have a “This is not my beautiful house” moment with your body?
Reclaim your territory!
When you feel alienated from your body this may sound like a difficult task, but as with anything if you take it one step at a time you’ll find it’s not such a challenge.
1. Remember what makes you feel good in your body, and do those things. Swim, dance, jog, play, make love, get a massage. Create a list and keep it where it’s visible.
2. Do these things. Every day choose at least one feel-good-in-your-body activity and do it. More than one is great.
3. Take inventory of the things that make you feel bad in your skin. Eating poorly, sitting around too much, stress, what you wear, over-exposure to media that focuses on form over function—the aesthetic of skinny.
4. Take action to minimize the impact of these things. Eat better—remember slow and steady wins the race. Little changes that you make over time are more likely to stick, and little changes all add up to big changes when you stick to them.
5. Make this process a daily practice. Eating better often leads to exercising, and vice versa. Paying attention to what feels good in the long run will yield profound results.
Pitfalls that may halt your forward momentum are simple to address, but may not be easily recognized. Sometimes what you think will feel good in the moment—eating a bag of cookies and watching TV—may not feel good in the long run. So instead of falling prey to ineffective self-soothing habits, create a stable relationship with long-term health and wellbeing.
The journey to health is a path, not a destination. Keep walking!
Lasara Firefox Allen is an author, educator, activist, and coach. Lasara’s first book, the bestselling Sexy Witch (Llewellyn Worldwide), was published in 2005 under the name LaSara FireFox.
