The rest of us, on the other hand, find ourselves with bodies that just won’t stop changing. Sometimes we like those changes, sometimes we fear the changes our body goes through, and sometimes we feel so disconnected from our body that we simply can’t even tell, or don’t want to know, what the heck is going on in them there hills.  For many, childhood traumas or plain old negative comparisons can become the thought hooligans that make it hard for us to believe that we really might be OK with the body we have, just as it is.  For something a little different, what might happen if you tried on the idea of being the loving caretaker of the dynamic dynasty known as your body? Might you feel differently about yourself if you choose to love every lumpy, bumpy, numb, and tingly stage your body journeys through?  As our own caregivers, we can show our bodies love through eating nourishing food and shaking our booties. Exercising and eating wisely provide many positive outcomes for body and mood, so by all means let’s run, skip, and sprout ourselves silly. At the same time, it’s good to notice if fitness and diet goals become sneaky forms of self-aggression. Loving your body as it is right now is always the perfect starting line for a life of joy and connection.  Kindness, curiosity, and tenderness can be wise guides to help you navigate the relentless reality that your beautiful body will expand and contract, advance and retreat, and be continually transforming, with or without your approval. Your body will never be quite like this, ever again, whatever it is. Can you stand in wonder at the whole show your body is putting on? Can you love yourself just as you are, exactly as you are, right now?

Mindfulness Practice: Be a Mountain

When you’re feeling shaky and finding it hard to remember how gorgeous you are, take a few moments to settle into the mountain practice. Explore it as a way to find ease and comfort as you settle into the earthy grounding joy of being you, exactly as you are.  Your eyes can be open or closed. You can do the mountain practice sitting, standing, or lying down. 

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Michelle Maldonado May 24, 2021

Lynn Rossy April 13, 2022

Frank Ostaseski February 14, 2022