5 Ways To Love Your Body

It may sound strange when I ask the question, “how can you love your body?” Yet, it is one of the things that we fail to do in our society.

We spend our days working so hard that we rarely recover. We deplete our energy in the process.

The boss needs this or the family needs something or a friend wants something from us. It is never-ending.

In our world we keep ourselves going, acting like the energizer bunny with unlimited batteries. Yet our human body is not meant to do this. It is not meant to go non-stop with no adequate rest periods. How can you love your body when you don’t show it any love?

Sure we think we’re doing something when we sit down with a glass of wine at night or take a week of vacation once a year. We think that chilling out with Netflix is what the body needs. In all reality, we’re just slowing things down a little, not giving it the rest it so deserves.

Most of the time, we aren’t aware that we are doing this. We’ve disconnected so far from reality and from truly being aware of our human physical existence that it goes unnoticed. It isn’t until we get sick or have some physical struggle that we begin to think about how we can love our bodies.

So what are some ways you can love your body? I’ll list a few, but please feel free to add any that you use.

How Can You Love Your Body?

1) Moment Of Stillness And Silence

Lie out in a hammock or take time to just be without anything to do. It means just being alone in a quiet space with ourselves. Yoga, Qigong, or meditation and other things like this can help us get in touch with our human physical side. Breath work is also a good option.

2) Connecting With Nature

Being out in nature, just walking and listening to the sounds while taking in the smells, colors, and feelings can do so much. Nature is one of the best medicines on earth and we should take it frequently. It helps lift us out of our worries and stress and helps us center deep within our mind body. When you spend quiet time out in nature, you come back to the world feeling so much more refreshed.

I’ve spent time at the ocean (fortunately I live relatively close) and I’ve also spent time in a butterfly rain forest where I can just get lost observing all the intricacies happening around me. The sounds of the ocean, which I recorded on a CD, are so soothing to me that I sleep to them at night.

One note while talking about ways to love your body: when you go into these times, just be in the moment. Try to tone the verbal chatter down and just listen and observe all that is going on around you. I see far too many people talking nonstop while observing. Observing with silence will be so much more rewarding.

3) Massage And Bodywork

All too often, people think of massage and bodywork as something you do once a year while on vacation. Very few people understand the importance of healthy touch on the body. There are so many benefits that can come out of this, from relieving stress to helping calm and release pains in the body. The benefits are there, but unfortunately, far too many do not engage in this practice.

Yes, I’m a licensed massage therapist, but I still get regular work done on myself. If I don’t, I sure feel it. Massage and bodywork are to the body as an oil change is to a car. If you neglect your car, you’re going to have problems. If you neglect your body, you will have problems. Massage and bodywork are ways in which you can love your body.

4) Watch What You Feed Your Body

We all know what is healthy and unhealthy or we have a good idea of what is. However, we tend to ignore that and give in to the emotions and stresses of life which dictate what we consume.

A way in which you can love your body is by consuming things that energize and empower, not make us sluggish. If we’re regretting what we eat or how much we eat, then we’re probably not consuming the things we need to in a day.

I don’t think you have to give up all the stuff you might consider bad, but it needs to be in balance with the good stuff. In addition, I don’t believe eating food that is over-processed, frozen, reheated, microwaved, fried, and obliterated through the cooking process is a healthy thing to do. While corporations and the food industry may prove it all has the required nutrients, I believe there is more benefit to “live” food than “over-processed” food.

5) Toxic Moments

These days, there are so many toxic moments that we engage with. Whether it is social media, the news we consume in a day, or some of the beliefs we live by, they may not be helping us love our bodies as much as we realize.

There is so much out there that just doesn’t do much good for anyone, yet everyone participates in it as if it is the essence of life. They may claim they don’t, but the evidence to the contrary is far too abundant.

Sometimes we neglect to engage with others we care about. We send them likes, emojis, short text messages, and silence thinking that is offering love and concern. Often it is a distorted method of concern rather than the real thing. Our minds do not reflect what is truly in our hearts and so authenticity is removed from the equation of loving our body.

Can You Better Love Your Body?

Yes, I think we can. These ideas are but a few things you can do to help you love your body. The more we take care of the body that was given to us, the better off we are. The more we fail to do it, the more issues we face in the mind and body.

The body depends upon the choices we make and the things we do. Let’s see if we can make better choices. Maybe it is just doing one thing a week. Chastising ourselves if we fail will do no good. Instead, aim to do one thing that helps you love your body.