It’s Time to Get Your Summer Body Tune-up. Guess Which Part Should Receive Attention First
Giving your body its summertime tune-up should begin with your head, and you can start by fostering an attitude of compassionate acceptance.
According to Dr. Traci Stein, whose body of work on issues involving self-esteem and body image is nothing short of amazing, "Your healthiest weight is the one that honors your inherent worth and keeps your body strong, mind sharp, and emotions balanced."
You will notice that nowhere in this statement does she say that body must have a 22-inch waist, weigh no more than 100 pounds or fit into a size 6. We are the ones who attach numbers to everything. "I will open myself to a relationship after I lose 20 pounds," or "I will look for a better career opportunity once I fit into a size 6."
We put our entire lives on hold while we attempt to force our amazing bodies to be something they are just not designed to be. It's like we're saying to our bodies, "You can't have love or success until you change." This is no way to treat your body, your steadiest companion and oldest friend.
For an eye-opening discussion of how women shame their bodies, and how negative self-talk typically has nothing to do with their bodies' actual shape and size, read Traci Stein's blog post, Fat Talk, Body Shaming and Other Forms of Self-Bullying.
"As a clinical hypnotherapist," she states, "I would say that constant fault-finding with oneself cements an idea that we are not good enough, or "worse-than" – in effect, reinforcing a trance of unworthiness. And it happens regardless of whether our negative self-evaluations have any objective validity."
In her audio program Healthy Weight and Body Image,Traci urges us to focus on loving ourselves the way we are in the present moment, even if there are things we would like to change, and she provides hypnotic imagery, meditations and exercises to help us do just that.
This is not to say you should give up on healthy eating and regular exercise. The opposite is true. When you have a loving relationship with your body, it's easier to choose things that are good for it. When you love and nurture anything, an orphaned pet, even a plant, it blossoms and thrives. The same is true for your body.
For extra help with your summertime mind tune-up, listen to Traci's Healthy Weight and Body Image during Sleep, or get help day and night with the set.
"Allow yourself space to be yourself, embrace who you are – even if there are things you are working on (and aren't we all?), and affirm what is wonderful, special, and unique to you just as you are in this very moment"—Dr. Traci Stein
Great advice from Traci, and from all your friends at Health Journeys, we wish a happy, healthy summer to you and your amazing body, just as it is in this moment. Dress it up and give it a day at the beach.
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