You have a relationship with your body the same way you have a relationship with your mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, son, daughter, friends, business associates or anybody else.
How healthy you allow yourself to be has everything to do with this relationship you have with your physical self.
If you find yourself sick or tired, one of the first places to turn to transform your well-being is to inquire deeply into the nature of this relationship.
Here’s three good ways to heal your relationship with your body:
- Listen to your self talk. When you wake up first thing in the morning and stumble into the bathroom, before you have had time to become more conscious, listen to the story inside your head. What do you say when you look at yourself first thing in the mirror? What do you hear inside your head when you notice any aches or pains? You are not actually your physical body. You are a soul. You want to listen to this self talk first thing in the morning because more than likely it’s what you actually believe about your body before your conscious mind has had time to dress up your thoughts. Whatever story you have running in your head first thing in the morning will be what you actually manifest. Are you the victim of your body, like this thing just happened to poor you? Does your body look like something you need to whip into shape, starve into a certain weight, like you have to bully it? Do you punish it’s cries for attention, playing the know it all? Are you totally detached from this physical thing, aloof and ignoring what’s really going on? Or are you actually kind, compassionate, attentive and loving? Be honest and listen.
- Draw two pictures. For years, I have done this very powerful exercise with my clients. It works because this method goes beyond the words you say to what you really feel and what you really want. Get out a large sheet of unlined paper and take out a box of colored pencils or crayons. First draw a picture of your body as it is now in its current incarnation. After you have completed this picture (and you don’t have to be an artist to do this), notice what your picture says to you. What screams out the most for attention? Secondly, draw another picture. This picture will be of how you want your body to be. I love doing this exercise because somehow when my clients draw this second picture they always manage to find the middle ground. People who thought they needed to be anorexic to be happy inevitably realize that won’t work. The second body image usually comes back realistic but also healthy and a version you can actually manifest. Once you have completed your second picture, ask yourself what you would need to do, be or have in order to manifest this second picture of your body.
- Every day, ask what you need to do to be a better friend to your body. Although many people have a disordered relationship with their physical self, intuitively most of us have experienced what it takes to be a good friend. You may have had a good friend growing up as a child. You may be great friends with your pet. You could even have many friends now as an adult and have experience with the give and take required in order to maintain your friendships. When you think of being a friend to your body, you recognize that your body like your other friends goes through good times and bad. Some days you may need to nurture your physical self. Other days you can blast away and let it rip, enjoying a great time. Yet other periods may require deep listening and reflection, time to process all that has happened and reflect on how to move ahead in a more positive direction.
From 22 years of working with all kinds of clients, I can honestly report that transforming your relationship with your physical body is the root of you developing a healthier self.
Because your physical body is the densest expression of what is going on with you on ALL the levels – energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual – you must deal with yourself at this level to experience true vitality.
What is healing? Healing happens when you make friends with your physical self.
