A Little Exercise to Deepen Body Love

How would your relationship with your body change if you looked at it as having a soul of itself?

Let’s try this experiment: think of a child or pet you really love and cherish. Their innocence helps you feel the purity of your good wishes for them. Feel all of the good, joy and wellbeing you wish for them. Hold them in your heart for a moment.

Now take a minute to close your eyes and do the experiment so you can feel your heart opening.

Got it? Ok, let those sweet feelings brew and expand in your heart for a bit as you read along.

Now let’s talk about your body for a little bit. Your body performs countless functions every single minute of your life. From the moment you were conceived until your very last breath, there is an endless flow of intelligent activity taking place. This requires NO effort from you.

Your body has inherent wisdom that is separate from your awareness.

Your body beats your heart. It breathes. It carries oxygen to your cells. It digests the foods you eat. It heals damaged cells. It sends messages that allow you to feel a loved one’s skin or recognize their scent when you are near them. It creates a flood of little sensations that you experience as excitement, joy, alertness or warning.

Your body is a miraculous vehicle.

Your body allows you to listen to music and be moved by poetry; to kiss and hug a loved one; to taste the difference between strawberries and vanilla ice cream, and even notice how wonderful they can be together. Your body appreciates jokes and gives you belly laughs. The list of extraordinary experiences your body can have is truly infinite.

Your body is also perfectly benign and perfectly innocent.

Whatever you eat, however you move, whatever shape or size it is today, your body will do the best it can with what you give it. It will not judge you or shame you. It keeps working diligently to care for you, every moment of every day.

When you start to connect with the wisdom, magic and even innocence of your body, you begin to tap into a deeper reverence for the magnificent experience that having a body actually is!

That awe and reverence will awaken a greater desire to nurture that precious body of yours.

Let’s go back to the experiment to wrap things up.

Go back to the feeling for that beloved child or pet you thought of earlier. The one for whom you wish nothing but the best. Notice the sweet innocence and perfection of that being, and allow your love for them to expand in your heart.

Now imagine directing those feelings towards your body. Think of the magic and innocence of your body, and become aware of its own wisdom. Imagine your sweet body receiving that love from you.

Close your eyes and notice how you can be aware of both the love you are directing towards your body and the sensation of your body receiving it.

What do you notice? How are you relating to your body in this moment?

You can return to this exercise anytime, especially on the days when it feels hardest to be kind to your body.

Remember, your body is listening. Speak to it with love.