Love your body.
Befriending your body is one of the gifts of yoga that I hope is central to my teachings.
I want you to love your body the way it is right now. I have been trained to see the beauty in you. I have been trained to look for what is going right first and what can be improved second. Whatever poses you can or can not do your body really is the most miraculous thing.
But loving your own body is easier to say than to do, especially as we get older.
As some of you know, I like to make yoga videos so students can do some yoga at home. I enjoy this as a creative process and a form of self expression. But here is the thing, when i’m editing the videos I have to look at myself – a lot. Over and over again. So while I struggle with it, here is a honest dialogue in my head. ‘Is that what i look like from the side? Where did that extra chin come from? Gosh – i guess i should lose that 10 pounds the camera adds. All those slightly saggy bits, the side view! (cringe) “
I want to model compassion and acceptance for your body so I struggle with this!
I feel good, my body can work hard, climb mountains, walk for miles, squat to weed my garden and do a kick ass yoga practice.
So why am I so critical of it when I am editing videos?
Here are some previously unexamined beliefs I am working on.
Yoga teachers should be thin.
Younger is better than older.
Beauty is for others to decide.
I feel better just writing those down!
I can see what is keeping me from really enjoying the body I have now. I hold myself back from a loving relationship with the only home I really have. The body is temporary. Love it while you can.
What are some of the beliefs that hold you back from loving your body?
Well put, Kathy. This post gives me a lot to think about. You are such a good model of body self-acceptance.
thanks for reading Annie!
Have you seen the June edition of “Yoga Journal”? …”Yoga for ALL body types” is one of the featured articles. There is even a picture of an Iraq war veteran who lost his lower legs and has become an instructor. I’ll bring it along to class on Monday.
love to see it Chris! thanks 🙂
‘Coincidentally’ yesterday, I just watched a Netflix documentary: EMBRACE. It certainly gave great inspiration for this topic of body image and self-acceptance.
And now, being well on ‘the other side of 60’, I have to say this issue takes life-long work and attention…to love yourself including all the crinkley bits and bulges! And enjoy this lovely body we’ve been given…for life.
Thanks for always adding to that inspiration, Kathy – every class!
Thanks Janice! i’ll be so interested to see it.
And yes – life long attention. I recently read a quote I liked “Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance. Maybe all of it.” Jack Kornfield.
thanks for reading 🙂