12 Mindful Ways To Love And Thank Your Body
It’s so easy to beat ourselves up, especially when it comes to our own appearance. We see a blemish, a wrinkle, a number on the scale or on our clothes, a grey hair, some jiggly skin, and we begin to count the ways we are less than.
Instead of counting your imperfections, thank your body.
Thank your legs for carrying you to and from work, for letting you stand for hours on end, for letting you climb stairs and chase after children.
Thank your skin for protecting you from the elements. Let it breathe and stop stressing yourself out over acne. The stress will make it worse.
Thank your hands for letting you hold a pen or pencil, for letting you grab that cup of coffee, for being able to grasp the hand of another.
Thank your thighs and arms and bellies for their stretch marks and their jiggles. For their fullness is a reflection of a life that is being lived, and the stretch marks may even be a reminder of a life that you have carried.
Remember that you are not a number on a scale. You are not the size of your pants or your dress or the label on your shirt. Remember that the human body is capable of extraordinary things and that you are a manifestation of that extraordinaire.
So thank your body for getting you to this moment, and then take care of it better if you need to. Here are 12 ways to get you started:
1. Drink more water.
2. Eat more vegetables.
3. Do not deprive yourself of chocolate if that’s your thing, but just remember that moderation is key.
4. …the same goes for alcohol.
5. …the same goes for cheese.
6. Drink more water. Yes, I’m saying it again because it’s that important. Hydration is a wonderful place to start your health journey.
7. If you eat chocolate, stop mentally beating yourself up about it. It’s not heroin, it’s chocolate. The mental whipping you’re giving yourself is also bad for you, so give yourself the grace to enjoy the food.
8. Moisturize.
9. Move your body, every day. That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym—it can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It can be as intense as signing up for a personal trainer. You know what you need.
10. Give thanks for each day you wake up and each night you are able to go to sleep. Each day is a gift.
11. Write down five things you are grateful for every day, in the moment and season that you find yourself in.
12. Thank your body—it’s the only one you’ve got.