Cherish Your Body

Self-acceptance is the strongest acceptance.

Hello, world! When was the last time that you thanked your body? When was the last time that you looked in the mirror and even felt a love for what you saw? If you feel uncomfortable when you look at yourself, I want you to ask yourself why you do.

It’s interesting to think about how much body ideals can so easily control our lives. How absurd is it to believe that you have to change your body to experience happiness? Jeez. It sounds crazy when it's said like that, doesn’t it? Many of us constantly yearn to change things about our appearance so that we can gain acceptance from others. Since childhood, we have been taught that a certain body type is the most attractive and acceptable. These ideas have become so rooted in our subconscious that when we do look at ourselves, we often immediately find things to criticize. So, the practice of accepting our bodies the way that they are is difficult because our perceptions of ourselves are deeply distorted.

Loving your body can be an extremely difficult task––it’s good to acknowledge that. With small steps, you can improve the way that you perceive your body. Look at your body more often; just stand in front of the mirror and just look. If there are specific body parts that make you uncomfortable, focus on them. Notice the feelings that you have when you see these parts, but don't push them away. Simply verbalize how you truly feel and think about why you might feel like that. Once you say this aloud, it will probably sound counterproductive to your own morals and beliefs. Then, look at these body parts and pour all of your love into them. Tell yourself that you are beautiful, whole, and any other positive things that come to mind. Let yourself know that YOU are in control of how you feel about your body; YOU decide what to believe about yourself. Your self-worth is inherent in you and unchanging. It is not going anywhere, no matter what you see when you look in the mirror.

Accepting your body can be a long process when you’ve always been exposed to social norms that never include your body type. So, when you start your journey towards loving your body, it can feel like you’re lying to yourself and you may even feel more insecure than you did before. However, this discomfort is only necessary in implanting new and true beliefs into your brain and subconscious mind. The more that you allow yourself to feel this discomfort, the more that you will dismantle the false perceptions of your body, providing space for positive self-perceptions.

Who taught you that your body needs to be a certain way? A life lived trying to please others is not a life well-lived. When you neglect your being’s truth, you are dismissing parts of yourself that make up your wholeness. Your body, no matter what it looks like at any point in time, is your body to love. Practicing affirmations in the mirror every morning is an effective way to rewire your brain into understanding the truth of your worth. You are whole and beautiful right now! Don’t wait until you look a certain way to love yourself. Express gratitude for your body––every single part of you has a wonderful function in your sustainment. Your body works hard to keep you alive and well––cherish that.