Title: Unconditional body love
Author: Kenneth Sookhai
Unconditional body love
Daily we hear the word "Body" in every form of media.
Phrases like "Touch my body", "Rock your body", "Body Break" and "Body wash"
The phrase least often used is "Love you body" and specifically unconditional love for our body. We expect or even demand unconditional love from others but our own body is rarely loved as is. We are told by family, friends, media and companies trying to sell us products that we must change something. "If only we make a small change to "˜insert body part' then everything will be perfect. "If only we do "˜insert activity' my body will change for the better"
The truth of unconditional body love has nothing to do with anyone or anything. Unconditional body love comes from within ourselves. It is looking into a mirror and smiling at who we are, who we were and who we will become.
Confidence comes from loving you bodyNEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) Doctor Margo Maine, PhD compiled a list of the "20 ways to Love your Body"
Quoted from NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/20-ways-love-your-body
Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it.
Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often.
Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.
Create a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments.
Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
The main idea in all of these points is "Confidence comes from loving your body". When we love our bodies unconditionally then we are not bothered by the differences
The science behind loving your bodyProfessor Viren Swami from Anglia Ruskin University did two studies on the effects of attending life drawing classes. The study showed male and female attendees had positive effects on their self image. A quote from Professor Swami abstract states:
http://www.psy-journal.com/article/S0165-1781(15)30025-1/abstract
"In women, greater attendance was significantly associated with higher body appreciation and lower drive for thinness and social physique anxiety. In men, greater attendance was significantly associated with higher body appreciation, but not drive for muscularity or social physique anxiety."
Love you body"Perhaps love is the process of my leading you gently back to yourself"
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Loving who I am makes me feel good and when I feel good my world is a better place.The struggle to look in the mirror and accept what I see is a daily challenge. I accept this challenge because I believe that loving my body unconditionally is more important than diet, exercise and health products. On those occasions when I look I the mirror and I smile at who I am. I hold my head higher, I eat less junk food and I smile more at those around me.
Love your body and love your body unconditionally.
