There was a time I treated this body as if it was just a piece of furniture, an object. At the time, I did not realize that our body, which is made up of trillions of INTELLIGENT cells, is always listening... what was I telling my body? How did I treat my body? I thought of it as something I was stuck with for this lifetime. My body was something I had that was so much less than the perfection I would have liked. If I could, I would have changed so many things about it.
My body-talk was anything but nice, I did not respect it, I found faults in it... then I wondered why my body was creating so much dis-ease and dis-harmony. I ignored its whispers, and when it got insistent and loud, I blamed it some more!
Finally, when I began my spiritual journey, I awakened to the reality that my body is perfect, it is in fact amazingly intelligent, smart, and works tirelessly for me. It is always trying to protect me and to keep me alive. I am not the body; I have this body. We are partners in this life. My body always communicates with me, through whispers, sensations, emotions, pain, and discomforts. It contracts and expands (I mean this as feeling contracted, tense, open, or expansive) to let me know if what I am doing, thinking, or being told is true or false, if I am on the right track or not.
I realized I had it all wrong! My magnificent body deserves my love, respect, time, appreciation, and nurturing. So does yours.
Give these simple exercises a try as a first step in the right direction. Do these a few times a day, especially at bedtime and as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Exercise 1: Place your hand on your heart and close your eyes. As you take some deep breaths simply say to your body, “I love you, Thank you”.
Exercise 2: Place your hand on a part of your body and close your eyes. As you take some deep breaths contemplate on all that part of your body does for you. End by thanking the body part for all it has been doing for you since you were born!
I have a meditation on my blog post, that will help you to tune into your body with love and gratitude. As you do this regularly, you will begin to see your body respond back by creating a happier and healthier body.