Monday, January 23, 2023
It is time to become friends with your body. Look at yourself, unclothed. Look at your body while standing and sitting. Look at the chest, torso, waist, legs, and turn around and see the backside. Does that make you squeamish? Keep going. Look at the spine, how it holds up your head. Imagine the skeleton under the skin and muscle. The skeleton keeps structure, and holds your head up! The body is alive, pulsating with vitality.
It’s easy to “oo” and “ah” at some amazing animal at the zoo, like a bird, or to admire the physical structure of a flower. But have you ever considered how amazing your body is? It’s nature’s most compelling work. But it’s trashed. In the eyes of the world, the body is garbage, unless it’s an ideal. Our own eyes wince at its image. We hate it. We abuse it. We neglect it. We stuff it. We look at ourselves and say, “Ew.”
Don’t be afraid of what the mirror shows you. When babies come into this world, their bodies are a playground, a thing of wonder and joy. When they discover how, they just enjoy moving their limbs, toes, and head. They look, they marvel, they enjoy being in their own bodies. The joy is simply discovering physical structure; marveling at how intricate it is; and working to care for it. It’s not for vanity’s sake, but for gratitude’s sake, and for loving what’s been given to you. No matter how much you deny it, your body is here to stay. Look at it until you fully accept this truth, that your body is working hard for you, and in many ways it loves you. Appreciate it. Care for it. Accept it. If it were a person, make it feel at ease. Your body is on your side. Join with it, and love it unconditionally.