On Valentine’s Day, whether we’re ranting about the expense and uselessness of this Hallmark holiday or showering gifts on our beloved, we seem to focus outward on the person we love, wish we loved, or don’t love at all.
And of course, we should show that same love every day, all year long, but Valentine’s Day serves to draw our attention to it, and hopefully to remind us that we should practice that much love all the time.
This year, allow Valentine’s Day to remind you to focus inward, as well, and to love your body–a great starting point for learning to love yourself.
Roll your eyes all you want. I’ll wait.
Seriously. Forget the mirror for a second. Close your eyes and think about everything your body is doing right now.
You can’t. Because it’s doing thousands (millions?) of things right now, right this second, and most of them you aren’t even aware of.
So start by noticing the ones you can. You breathe, and the air moves in and out of your lungs. Your heart beats against your chest. You can feel your clothes against your body and your feet against the floor. You’re fully aware of whether you’re sitting or standing. You can tell whether it’s cold or hot in the room. And it goes on.
We forget about how miraculous this is, because we do it every day. We end up taking these magnificent bodies for granted, because we’re so used to them behaving the way we need them to.
Then something happens–we get sick or hurt–and they don’t behave. And what do we do?
Usually, we get mad.
Many of us treat our bodies poorly. We don’t move them enough. We feed them too much garbage food. We breathe polluted air. We think negative thoughts. And through it all, our hearts keep beating, our breath keeps flowing, our skin keeps touching, our eyes keep seeing. Our bodies thrive in spite of us.
And when it finally breaks down from this abuse, we have the nerve to get mad at it. But what it needs is more love. Support. Rest. Acknowledgement.
If you can’t love your body for what it looks like right now, at least start loving it for what it does for you. For its potential. Then start making choices that reflect that love.
The appearance of your body will start to shift as your love for your body grows. It will start to look more in line with the way you desire it to look, provided you’re making the choices that show the love you feel.
Everything is connected, and this love for your body is a powerful connector.
Maybe you can’t start with all-out, passionate love, so start with appreciation. Thank your body for its work. The more you thank, the more that love will grow.
I hope the eye-rolling has stopped. Diet habits, fitness, and overall wellness get so much easier when we practice them with love. It’s a continual practice, a work in progress, and that’s okay.
Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t loved your body in the past. It’s okay. Just start today. Love your body today. And make that choice again tomorrow.