Be Kind to You

Hello, and welcome to lesson 10 of Mindful Eating. Today we're going to be talking about our relationship with our bodies. We have one precious body to live in during this lifetime. And when we consider that for a moment, we can see why the relationship we have with our bodies is so important. Oftentimes though, the thoughts we have about our bodies aren't so kind. We silently criticize ourselves over and over again wishing for our bodies to be different in some way, but denying or suppressing these thoughts won't help us feel better either. We can't change what we don't acknowledge. Practicing mindfulness guides us to notice these judgmental thoughts and let them go. A thought is just a thought unless we give it the power to be more than that. Being mindful also encourages us to consciously befriend the body and build a better relationship with it. This means accepting our bodies just as they are, even if we want to change them in some way. We must put effort into loving our bodies now, and eating, moving and acting in ways that reflect that. To begin the process of befriending your body, start by practicing gratitude for all the things it does every day to keep you alive and well. Your heart pumps blood, the stomach digests food, the intestines absorb nutrients, and the lungs breathe air. Your senses help you see, feel, hear, taste, and smell. The miracles of the body are countless. So have you thanked your body yet today?...