If you look at my photo albums you may wonder if I was in The Witness Protection program. Very few photos of me remain. For most of my life there is little evidence that I existed.
For decades I either hated my body or believed it needed a tweak. Why keep photos of imperfection I thought, as I tore up images?
When we hate our body, we spend a lot of time trying not to see it, look at it or acknowledge it.
There are several signs that you are a body hater:
- Mirrors are not abundant in our houses. They gives us another opportunity to notice our flaws, take stock of all the things we could improve on.
- Photos… we hate them or spend so much time trying to get the right angle (spoiler alert: there is no right angle when we are disconnected from our body!)
- We are always researching ways to look thinner, younger….. we are searching for the magic outside of ourselves
Connecting to your body and yourself is where it starts. Pushing it away with repulsion or even a mild distaste will keep you on this diet path.
Part of my journey to recovery came with appreciating all of my flesh, embracing all of the wiggly bits. Instead of passing judgement I practice gratitude. This week I carried 40 boxes of vinyl plank flooring and I celebrated the strength of this body. I gave myself an A+ for this accomplishment, as 6 years ago even carrying the groceries in to the house felt like an endurance test. I applauded my wonder woman strength!
When you learn to love your body (and it is a process) the feeling is incredible. That mirror, that photo, that ad for a younger thinner self (or whatever the marketing team has decided ) holds very little power.
It is a Wizard of OZ moment as you discover the power has always been with you.
Thanks for reading,
Christina