“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos — the trees, the clouds, everything.”
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh, Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living
I am facilitating a “Creating Joy Through Gratitude” 30-Day challenge right now and one of the things we focused on was honoring and expressing gratitude for our bodies.
Our bodies house our souls while we are in this physical, Earthly realm. They are with us from the time we are born to the time we depart this physical world. They never leave us. They are the only constant companions that we have every moment of every day.
Our bodies are an intricate design of chemical compounds, electrons, organs, cells, tissues, and organs that all work together in harmony to keep us alive.
They are miraculous.
Our ears allow us to hear the sounds of children laughing.
Our eyes allow us to see breathtaking sunrises, sunsets, and the changing colors of the leaves on the trees in Fall.
Our nose allows us to smell the fresh scent after a rainfall.
Our tongues allow us to taste the sweetness of ripe peaches.
Our hands allow us to hold our children and grandchildren in a loving embrace.
Our hearts beat to keep our blood flowing through our bodies without any effort from us.
Our breath circulates oxygen through our blood stream.
Our feet have carried us through the peaks and valleys of life.
Our immune systems work to protect us from illnesses and infection and fight hard to restore our health when we do get sick.
Our voices allow us to sing songs of JOY.
Two organisms – a sperm and an egg create a human being.
Our uteruses carry our babies and our bodies give them all the nutrients they need during their gestation period.
Our bodies allow us to feel sexual pleasure.
They are amazing and they deserve our unconditional love and gratitude.
Sadly, I don’t think I have ever met a single person that unconditionally loves their body.
My observation is that we compare ourselves to the Photoshopped models we see in fashion magazines and go straight to feeling “less than”. We all know that those models don’t really look like that in real life, right?
I know I tend to look in the mirror and hone in on my pimples, dark circles, and the sagging skin around my knees. Having said that, I am making huge strides as I age at embracing and loving my body.
I am a work in progress.
What about you? What is your relationship with your body?
I invite you to listen to your body and honor its messages to you.
Ask it what it needs from you. Does it need a nap? Does it need water to help it rehydrate? Does it want you to eat healthier foods so that it has more energy? Does it want you to move it by taking a walk or maybe a spinning or Zumba class?