Building Love for Our Bodies at Every Age, Shape & Size
The first step towards any type of internal transformation and healing is always through presence and connection to the body. It isn’t until you begin to see your body as an integral part of yourself, rather than a separate entity, that you start to experience meaningful shifts within.
In today’s world, especially for women, we are taught that our bodies reflect our acceptance and desirability. This lesson starts young, and from that moment forward, the great disconnection deepens. We judge our bodies, comparing ourselves to others and setting conditional acceptance goals: “I won’t love my body until it looks like this…” Along the way, we utter harsh comments about our bodies: “I’m ___, I’m not ____, my (insert body part) aren’t _____.” This begins in our youth and continues into adulthood, where the focus shifts to aging, wrinkles, and sagging.
Have you noticed how you talk to your body? Is it with love and affection, or with anger, sadness, and remorse? Now in my 40s, I often hear people say, “My body is getting old—it doesn’t work the way it used to,” or express an obsessive concern over wrinkles. We seek medical interventions, sometimes going as far as paralyzing muscles to slow the aging process, maintaining the desirability and acceptance we were taught to seek at a young age. I too have struggled with this anti-aging obsession, but I’m mindfully detaching from it as the years pass. My colleague sent me a quote by Coco Chanel that resonated deeply:
”Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve.”
Instead of viewing our bodies as something to fix, judge, or alter, we need to see them as the magical vessels they are. What if we loved our bodies as toddlers do? Have you ever seen a toddler with an injury? Even the smallest scratch gets the highest level of concern and empathy. They tend to it with care, ensuring it gets the band-aid, the kisses, and the love it needs. They have this level of concern because they do not see their bodies as separate from themselves; they see their bodies as one with who they are. It’s only when the child grows older, entering adolescence, that the disconnection begins, marked by judgment, criticism, and separation.
What if we all began to view and love our bodies as toddlers do? Being mindful of the foods and liquids we consume, ensuring we move our bodies instead of sitting still for most of the day, and giving our bodies love and acceptance by focusing on their health, functionality, and magic, rather than whether they fit a certain aesthetic.
Our bodies perform magnificent work every second of our lives. Cells regenerate daily, the immune system fights off diseases, and the body heals wounds. The complexity and efficiency of the human body are immense, allowing it to perform a vast range of tasks seamlessly and simultaneously. Here are some powerful and fascinating facts about daily bodily functions to help shift our perception away from aesthetics and towards the marvel of our body’s functions:
The human body produces millions of new cells every second to replace old or damaged ones
Organs are removing waste, detoxifying chemicals and processes substances to keep the body free of toxins
Even at rest, muscles are constantly active
The immune system continuously scans for and combats pathogens, responds to infections, repairs tissues, and removes foreign particles
During sleep, the body repairs tissues, consolidates memories, and restores energy levels
By shifting how we see and speak to our bodies, we begin to build a connection. We start to listen to our bodies, appreciate them, and love them. As a result, we become more mindful of our movement, the nutrients we consume, and the words and emotions we reflect towards our bodies.
So, how do we start this shift?
Mindfulness and Openness: Begin by shifting how we view our bodies.
Consistent Movement: Commit to regular movement and presence in the body.
Listening to Our Bodies: Listen to our bodies rather than dictate to them, considering sleep/rest, activity, food, water, and toxins.
Are you where you want to be in your connection with your body? Do you want to incorporate more wellness into your everyday life? Try Moon Rock for free and start showing up for yourself every day to build the connection with your body, your mind, and yourself.