How many years have you hated your body?
Punished it with over-eating, over-exercising, negative self talk, alcohol binges?
How many years have you wished your body was like "Hers"?
How much time have you wasted comparing yourself to photoshopped images on Instagram?
How deeply do you desire to love and accept yourself as you are?
If you're anything like MOST women, you just got a little emotional reading those questions.
This is me in Mexico, February 2017. The first time in my life I can remember wearing a bathing suit and not obsessing about "sucking in" or trying to make myself smaller for pictures.
I absolutely LOVE my body. Yes, even with it's scars and imperfections.
It took me YEARS to come to this place.
It is not my natural default to accept myself.
I have corrected my own thoughts HUNDREDS of times at this point.
Because I know now that whatever you say after "I am" sticks with you.
We're always our own worst critics, right?
Probably one of the most humbling and nauseating realizations is that all this time, we've been inflicting this pain on OURSELVES for no reason other than to cause ourselves pain.
Because it's what we know.
And because we're scared of being magnificent.
We're more comfortable being "gross" or "ugly" or "fat" because it takes the responsibility off of us for showing up and treating ourselves with the upmost respect.
Pretty crazy, huh?
You have a body. But your identity isn't defined by your body.
It isn't the end all, be all.
Your soul is.
How can you give your soul the BEST life experience possible here on earth?
You can treat your body - your soul's home - like you would a Maserati.
Yup, a gorgeous Italian Luxury sports car.
Hear me out.
I love my car.
(And it is certainly NOT a Maserati).
It gets me from point A to point B.
I take care of my car.
I don't know what I'd do without it.
I love how I feel when I drive it.
But I also know that my car is going to get scratched.
It's going to develop some aging rust.
Eventually it's going to need an oil change.
The fluids need replenishing.
The tires are going to need replacing.
I don't blame my car when it breaks down.
I don't hate it because it needs attention.
I certainly don't shame it because it has some scratches.
I love my car.
I give it the attention it needs.
I realize it has a job to do, and if I don't take care of it, it won't function at it's best.
YOUR body is a Maserati.
Respect it, love it, accept it.
Stop hating yourself because your body looks different than other peoples'.
You are the only YOU there is and that is something to be celebrated.
Stop punishing yourself with food and exercise, thinking that once you lose weight, you'll be happy.
When you practice compassion and gratitude for yourself, the weight will fall off as a byproduct.
Treat your body with respect.
Eat foods that nourish it.
Drink water instead of soda.
Replace "I'm fat" with "I'm amazing"
Your relationship with YOU is the most important - as well as the LONGEST - relationship you will have in your LIFE.
Why waste any more time berating and hating your own existence?
Ain't nobody got time for that.
Try this loving kindness practice:
When you step out of the shower and towel yourself off, look at your body in the mirror.
Take coconut oil in your palms and begin to rub it into your skin from your feet all the way to your neck.
As you rub the coconut oil in to your skin, repeat over and over to yourself, "I love you and thank you".
Really pour loving energy into yourself.
It takes 3 extra minutes.
And done over time, it will change the way you hold yourself.
Change the way you see yourself.
You will start to realize that your body is a Maserati.
And Maseratis deserve only the best treatment possible.
Always in your corner,
Marie
PS - if you need some extra guidance on the 'how to' practice of self love and care, it's kind of my specialty.
Email me at mariebarkerwellness@gmail.com and to work together.