My Body is My Temple … a new 40-day self-love practice
Okay, maybe I AM addicted to 40-day self love practices, but hey, there are way worse things to be addicted to! This addiction actually brings me more LOVE vs. less, so I say, let’s keep the 40-day self-love practices going all year long.
I am just coming off of a 40-day self-love practice of Receiving, and the one that preceded that was the 40-day Taking Care of ME practice that many of you have been doing the last 40 days. We started on Feb 13th and finished yesterday, March 25th by everyday waking up and asking ourselves, ‘What do I need to do to take care of ME today?”
So what is next? When I asked this question I got inspired by two things… 1. Last year, one of five 2009 themes was “My body is my moving temple.” I spent a whole year trying to bring that into reality and ended the year with a B-. I want more! And 2. At the Madly in Love with ME Celebration on February 13th, I asked two transformational artists to perform something that embodied the energy of My Body Is My Temple, so that women could literally FEEL what that would be like. My friend Kalila danced an amazing temple dance, and Lone Morch created this amazing movie, My Body As Temple which you should so check out on our you tube channel.
This all leads me and you! to
the “My Body is My Temple” 40-day Self Love Practice
which is the perfect practice to do now! We just celebrated Spring Equinox last weekend which is all about renewing and replenishing. Spring is a time to start shedding all that extra energy we were holding on to to keep us warm and cozy during the Winter months. In the Ayurvedic tradition it’s one of the main times to do a full body cleanse. And lets face it, Spring is the time right before bathing suit season, so many of us may have our bodies on our minds.
My relationship with my body has never been my strongest relationship. For me it’s not that I hate her, it’s that I forget about her. Like I can go months without looking at my toes, feeling my calf or noticing that I have this appendage called an arm. I take my body for granted, as if she is always going to be there to be the workhorse I have always expected her to be. As an achiever I have driven her past the brink of exhaustion on many occasions to ‘get the job done’ and the truth is that I have treated her more like a piece of machinery at my beck and call than as the temple that she deserves to be treated as.
The other truth is that without her, I would be nothing. I don’t exist on this planet without her. My spirit needs this form to be on this earth. None of the passions, missions, dreams I have can be accomplished without her. And although I like to think that I am in charge of her, the truth is that very quickly, if I don’t adore her the way a temple deserves to be adored, she will be in charge of me, and I won’t be able to do a darn thing about it.
Just think about any time you didn’t feel good physically — from a canker sore to a cold to a much more serious condition – you were at the mercy of your body, and the only way to change the situation was to treat her well.
Well, what if we treated her well before she revolted and got sick?
What if we treated her well, despite our judgments on what she ‘should’ be?
What would it be like if we treated our bodies like temples, and everyday that was the lens through which we made choices?
I am not sure what the answer is to that last question, but I want to know, and that is why today, I say YES! to this new self-love challenge…
will you join me??
(photo by Lone Morch, Lolos Boudoir)here is how the self-love practice works…
- Every morning, before you get out of bed, close your eyes and talk to your body. Yes, have a conversation with her. Ask her “Body, oh temple of mine, what do you need today?” Okay, I know it may sound a bit hokey, but trust me, this kind of stuff works. Fake it til you make it. In other words, be willing to try it, feel uncomfortable and have a breakthrough. Got nothing to lose.
- Live with “My Body is My Temple” as a mantra and a lens to make decisions from. During each day and throughout the 40-day time period, think about the choices you make from the standpoint of, “Is this treating my body as a temple?” Notice I didn’t say ‘jail cell’ where you get all controlling and start putting crazy diet rules on yourself. I said temple. Think about food, movement, sleep, affection, clothing, bathing, anything that affects you physically. Make ALL choices based on what does support your body as a temple.
- Adore and Adorn Her. Temples are beautiful places that are cherished and beautified. This means nothing other than loving your body for 40-days. No harsh words or judgments, just love. You start to judge? Stop and love instead. This also means bringing out her beauty. No sloppy sweats with stains or a shirt with a hole in the armpit. Think Aphrodite, what would she put on her temple? You don’t need a new wardrobe, just put on your body what a temple deserves, clean, pretty and loved items.
- Try New. Whether its your food, your clothing, your body movement and exercise, whatever… introduce new practices into your daily life. Eat raw for a day. Wear a pink scarf to work, with rhinestones! Do smoothies for breakfast. Have fun by trying new stuff.
- Share what your are learning. I’ll be documenting my journey on this blog and also on our Madly in Love with ME Facebook fan page. I know I will learn lots and you will too, and I’d love to hear what you are discovering. So go to our Madly in Love with ME Facebook Fan Page and share with the community what you are learning.
Last thing…
- Whatever you do, this self-love practice, MUST be about self-love. This means no rule setting, deprivation, starvation, crazy diets or anything that makes you get stressed out, feel bad or be hungry or in pain. The challenge is to treat your body like a temple, while loving her and you every step of the way.
SO excited to have you on this journey! And if you decide to join us, please let us know you are on board, by posting a message on our Facebook site.
How ironic that this journey is starting today, 3/29, which is my birthday! I have been thinking for the longest time to try to get an actual program together so I can start focusing on taking better care of my body. I blogged this weekend about finding balance in my life and how I want to really work on that, and I had even decided to start working on being more conscious of my eating habits and fitness today, …then along comes the email with the link to this blog and the 40 day Body Temple journey! I do believe I will join and hope that many others do as well!
Hello Fabulous Christine!
I LOVE THIS!!! What a wonderful format. Things are moving fast for Teri and I. We are focused and working hard! Supporting you from afar! I am happy to connect with you on the My Body is a Temple 40 day practice!
It’s simply FAB! oxoxoxoxox Tamara
This is so timely.
Count me IN! I actually started yesterday, thanks to your early email. It’s a different perspecive and I am enjoying thinking about my body as a work of art:)
I love your self love practices.. they are a marvelous way for one to get to living in this now.
Thank you!
I would like to join the 40 day plan.
Will you send daily e-mails?
Thanks,
Dorothh
Love it! Count me in — I too am out to have a breakthrough in having a loving & kind relationship to my body.
Thanks for providing this structure!!
Hello, Christine~
Thank you for this invitation and reminder of the importance to honor our physical bodies. Too often, just like you, I actually forget to appreciate everything my body does to accommodate my dreams, visions and adventures. I love your approach and gifted ability to articulate how important this process is to all of us. Thank you!
Last night I went to your FaceBook site and thought I signed up for the newest 40 day My Body is My Temple. I posted on this site. What I didn’t like is what I said was posted to my FB page also for all to see. I would like to write and not have all my friends see my feelings so how do I do this 40 day program and just communicate with the women involved with the program. I have been involved with SPARK this month of March and have loved the format and was hoping this was similar. Can you please answer my questions?
This is an awesome process. I’m in!
Thank you much for this gentle reminder that my temple is to be loved, cherished, adored, appreciated and loved some more. Without it, I am nothing! Literally. I am on board for the next 40 days. It will also help me look and feel fabulous for the cruise in May. Thank you again for being you and sharing and little of you with us.
Thank you much for this gentle reminder that my temple is to be loved, cherished, adored, appreciated and loved some more. Without it, I am nothing! Literally. I am on board for the next 40 days. It will also help me look and feel fabulous for the cruise in May. Thank you again for being you and sharing and little of you with us.
I can sense the power in the women pictured in the video, “My Body as Temple”. However, as an older woman who has been large-sized for most of her adult life, it’s hard to identify with so many thin, attractive bodies.
Yes, I saw the one young larger woman and the one thin attractive older woman. But even they are in the upper percentages of attractiveness. It would be wonderful to have a video featuring average or even less than average women. Can we also love our temple? What’s it take to overcome a “handicap” like plain or heavy looks?
I love your blog, and look forward to my next 40 days :).
I love the spring detox, and hope to hear some good
Recipe’s or links to learn a good way to do so.
Thanks for including me in this adventure! 🙂
love it, love it. Want to be a part of it all. I’ve always strived to live the notion that our bodies are our temples. Seeing this helps me bring it more in to play and to really focus in on this concept! First day of the next 4o going to make a conscientious effort to love and take care of my precious temple. Like a new born baby, nurture, love and cherish this lovely gift.
How does this work?
This is a wonderful idea and support group. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to include us in your plan to love your body, your temple, love it.
I am looking forward to the next 40 days.
Thanks for reminding me to be grateful for my temple. I do need to do some spring cleaning around here! Iam ready to whole heartedly honor myself in loving ways.
Good Morning Love Sister!
I’m ON! My husband and I have been recreating our wellness for life system and love what this presents! We’ve really been focusing on being mindful of everything in life. Now the whole household is on board…We even incorporated the dogs…LOL…Can you imagine the “Self Love talk” between animals!
Looking forward to a whole new wellness community, right here!
Bliss ON, Sister Love! Teri Williams
Really how does this work?? Are there weekly emails or do we have to sign up to facebook which I really don’t like to use. Thanks
Day Two and I’ve made a conscious awareness of my body the last couple of days. I’ve feed it healthy foods, exercised it and rubbed lotions all over being aware of how my body feels to me.
I also loved the movie but the first thing that came to my mind is all the women are so skinny. I would like to see more pictures of real life women. I hate most catalogs because they use lots of skinny women also and I know I won’t look like them in that bathing suit. I think real women are more beautiful! So where are they all?
I’m in,my body is hungry for this.Thanx for sharing this with love.
I’m in! I’m in!!! I love this idea … and my body/soul is just craving this attention! 🙂
Sitting inside my Temple house the Goddess looks on, knowing she has many facets to shine into the world of maya..so connected are we, that my body has learned to shine from the love that resides in my belly and my heart. together they join my intellect beyond mind , we meditate together and little tickeles of bliss bubble in my cells and drizzle down into my cranium ..had I not come into this temple i could never have worked thru my karmas.. so gald to be here. …so glad you are all here..Devi of the temple of Lakshmi
i would love to join you on this journey! i missed some days, but i hope i can keep up with your program – my temple is definitly ready and longing for the loving treatment! thank you for sharing and spreading this powerful vision!
Hi! It took everything that I had inside me to pick up your book ME before WE…it took everything I had to convince myself that thinking of me first and foremost was not an act of selfishness but a way to get to know and love the woman that I am and have become.
Now, I have begun my journey and realize that I need to begin treating my-WHOLE-self with the respect and attention it truly needs and desires.
Thank you for providing a ‘path’ for which I know I am not the only one traveling.
…I know, I am not alone.
Dear Braveheart Dawna! Thank you for picking up my book and for knowing that self-love is not selfish – what an incredible journey you have been on. I am HONORED that you are on this path with me and we are not alone sister. Deep heart hug Christine
Eva – join on in, it is never too late to being on this self-love journey! And we have some great dialog on our facebook fanpage for Madly in Love with ME if you’d like to chime in – we’d love to see your voice.
Self-love is for everyone – My Body is My Temple is for every woman and man. We honor you and your temple just the way it is – and yes, lets have the community create another video with even more women being featured.
Hello,
Coming from holland pretty far away and even a bit late,but I’m interested in what you are doing so count me in for this forty day program.I started already to think and act upon it a little bit but it’s a tricky one,I realised that a lot of my habits aren’t so full of love for my body yet.I’m willing to join in so keep me updated please.Love from Holland Sabine
You have a gift for shedding light and sharing these thoughts and expressions of self love. Thank you for helping so many of us remember who we truly are.
I’m in!