What helps you remember that your body is sacred?
Bloated, exhausted, haven’t showered yet today and the mornings coffee still lingers on your teeth. “Ughhh, I am so gross. I feel gross, I smell gross, and I look gross. If I keep this up I will find myself fat and alone”, nags the voice in my head.
I know this voice well. I have battled this voice for years – to varying degrees – and in a multitude of contexts. I believe we all hear this voice from time to time, though certainly some hear it more frequently than others. The voice that continues to remind you that you are simply not measuring up, that despite all of your efforts you still have so far to go.
This voice drains me; depletes me. I am sick and tired of hearing this voice, of entertaining her words. Will she ever go away? I would love for her to willingly retreat to the dark corners of mind, curl up into a ball and silence herself once and for all. She won’t go willingly though. Silencing her requires awareness, mindfulness and diligence on my part. I have to actively choose to go against her … to say, “I hear you, I acknowledge your words, and I am choosing something different than the self – loathing you’d like for me to engage in.”
Instead of containing myself to the rigidity of my inner critic’s advice and warnings, the sharp edges she would like for me to reside within – body, mind and spirit – I have to lean into my gentler, feminine essence. The part of myself that knows this body, this life, is sacred and beautifully whole NOW. When I am able to tap into this place within myself, I know that I am home.
We must learn to come home to ourselves again and again. We must remind ourselves daily, sometimes hourly, of our own divine nature. The body – all bodies – is sacred. No matter what the number on the scale may read, or the bags under your eyes may reveal, the FACT remains – your body is sacred.
So, what brings you home? How do you begin to lean into that softer, more nurturing, part of yourself so as to practice a radical kind of self love and acceptance? I find that when I step on to my yoga mat, my whole world slows down. As I lay myself upon the mat to begin my practice, my breath becomes deeper, my body begins to relax and the chatter in my mind is a little easier to filter through. Some days, it is simply sitting and breathing in this space that allows me to go in and remember my own divinity. On other days, I need to move through my asana practice in order to get there. But, regardless of what transpires on the mat, I always finish my yoga practice feeling more connected to myself and in turn so much more loving of my body, my way of being and my life. In this space, I am more gracious and kind towards, not only others, but more importantly – myself.
Now yoga is not the only thing that can do this for me – running, journaling, even just sitting in nature can all have a similar effect. And for you it may be something completely different. It isn’t so much a matter of “what” gets you there, as it is getting there – there being the SELF you call home.
On the most challenging of days – the days where you just can’t seem to determine where you land in this world – what reminds you of the sacredness of your being? What reminds you of the divinity of your body? The world can feel like a very dark place at times, even more so as of late. Find ways to show up for yourself, fill yourself up and let your light radiate.
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