Would You Like a Better Relationship with Your Body? 4 ways to treat your body as a temple instead of a slave

This past summer, I took part in a survey that asked women what they were hardest on themselves about, 78% said their body. While sad, probably not a shocker to you. Let’s face it, we are all guilty of body hate and what I call ‘body slavery’ – treating your body like a drive-me-til-I-drop workhorse, ignoring her needs, pushing her hard and paying her little, if any, appreciation.

When you consider the fact that you can’t actually accomplish anything without your body – it is literally the vessel that allows you to do everything — ignoring and hating on it doesn’t make much sense. It’s totally counter-productive, yet we smart women do it all the time.

I think part of the problem is that most of us don’t think about our body until she is making us unhappy. She’s not the shape or size we want, or she’s not functioning as the machine we expect her to be. Imagine what would happen if you ignored your partner or husband until they made you unhappy! If we treated our lovers or friends like we treat our bodies, they would leave. But our bodies are stuck with us – they can’t leave. They can only revolt.

The other issue is that we treat our body like a project or a problem instead of like a sacred relationship. Imagine if you turned this tenuous relationship into a sacred relationship.

One of the most self-loving and smart acts you can take is to realize that you are having a relationship with your body. Just like you have a relationship with a man or woman, a friend or a lover, you are in relationship with this vessel of flesh and bones that your spirit takes rent in for your entire life on this planet.

The question is, what is the relationship you want to have? Slave and owner? Abuser and abusee? Neglector and neglected? I personally prefer temple and person fortunate enough to live in a freaking way beautiful temple!

What about you? Do you dare to treat your body as the temple she is? And if you did, what would change? And more importantly, how can you get started today? Doesn’t it sound divine? It is… and here are 4 tips on how to get
started transforming your relationship with your body temple now:

1. See your body as the portal to which you experience everything in life – good food, great love, beautiful places, joy/happiness/smiles/hugs.
2. When you notice something about your body you don’t like you choose love vs hate – it’s as simple as changing the channel in your head or the words coming from your mouth. Tell yourself what you “do” love about your body.
3. Shift your perspective from entitlement to gratitude — See yourself in servitude to you, this beautiful temple you get to inhabit while on this earth
4. Treat your body as a temple every day

And for extra credit, take a double self-love dare… tell your body today how much you love her. Hug her. Tell her how beautiful she is. Thank her for all she does for you. She will appreciate it and in response will be more beautiful, more healthy and more likely to give you back the love you deserve.

I’m devoting this blog to the Lingerie Loves Your Curves Charity Drive that is taking a stand for all women to say, “Stop comparing ourselves and instead love our bodies, embrace our curves and see our own true beauty.”  Go here http://info.aboutcurves.com/llyc-blogathon/ to see how you can help raise awareness for this great cause that was created by the National Organization of Women.

Your donation to this fabulous organization, will truly make a difference. Go here to donate http://info.aboutcurves.com/llyc-blogathon/ .

Remember, when women come together, shift happens…