I recently received an email asking me this question – “Why does our body deserve love?”
“What an interesting question,” I wondered. Here’s what I think:
Our body is the greatest instrument through which we experience life differently, depending on how well we take care of it.
Why do I think so?
Even if we look beyond the numerous research statistics about how biology, neurology, and physiology affect our mental health, emotional health, way of living, and vitality, we can find the answer within us and in our experiences.
Let’s look at a very common example of how we see this happening in our lives. In the past week, I had fallen sick with a cold. A simple cold. I didn’t take care of myself as much as I could have, and instantly noticed how it made my brain feel foggy, caused me feelings of dread, made me lose motivation and appetite. That means a simple cold could affect my emotions, concentration levels, productivity, and mental clarity.
When you think about it, the way that our human experience is deeply interlaced with our biology and the health of our body, we realise what a gift it is to choose a better state of consciousness to live from, by simply taking better care of our body.
You must’ve noticed how getting regenerative sleep for just one night helps you stay energised, focused and in better flow throughout the day.
The body is the bridge that connects us with this world and state of being. It’s the instrument that allows us to experience our mind, emotions, sensations, and experiences in various ways. If we repeatedly fail to take care of it, we experience stagnation, low energy, illness, and much more.
Before we explore ways to show our bodies love, I want to take a moment to pause and reflect upon why I think my body deserves love. Let’s do it together.
Some questions to reflect on:
Why does my body deserve love? (Write here)What does my body do for me, that I can allow myself to feel grateful for? (Write here)What feelings and thoughts may come up when I try to practice radical acceptance and love for my body? (Write here)What are some beliefs I hold about my body, that are not helping me anymore? (Write here)What ways of showing self-love feel natural to my body? (Write here)How can I practice being gentler toward my body every day? (Write here)
Hope these helped you get closer to the answer. Let’s take a deep breath and continue to the next part.
Now, let’s look at how we can actually practice showing love to our bodies.
How to make your body feel loved:
In Prakriti’s Gratitude Story, they mentioned something I couldn’t forget: “I started mothering myself.” This was something my therapist and I had discussed as well in a session once, where we shared a profound insight that I could learn to become my own mother. It meant that I could learn to take care of myself better, nurture myself and support myself in unconditional ways like my mother did for me. With radical acceptance, no judgement and only unconditional positive regard.
Of course, practising all of this may be really difficult. I’m still on that journey. However, this is what I’d like to keep in mind when I think about ways to make my body feel loved.
🌸 1. Listen before you push
Instead of asking “What should I do to my body?”, ask “What does my body need right now?”
With all the noise outside and within our heads, we forget to listen to what our body truly is asking for. If you’ve ignored your body’s signs, signals and the gentle ways in which it speaks, this step might feel difficult at first. But this is where we gain the most clarity about what’s truly going on.
Take more moments to pause, become still, and learn to listen to what the thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations and symptoms your body is speaking through.
Slowly and steadily, you’ll be able to become more attuned to what your body really needs and then try different ways to give it what it needs. On some days, it may need a gentle hug, on some it may need no stimulation, or perhaps just 30 minutes of swaying to music.
That’s how you move from thinking about what your body needs and being stuck in thinking loops of what “should” be done, to feeling what your body needs simply by listening to it more.
🫶 2. Move with kindness for yourself, not to punish
Movement was never something people had to decide to do. Evolutionarily, we were always moving naturally. People worldwide in various cultures used to and still practice dancing, singing, walking, martial arts, energetic and mind-body-spirit movement practices like Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Yoga, breathing techniques, self-massages and so much more. All of these practices show different ways to express and connect with your body deeply.
We don’t have to start big. We can start with tiny movements that our body is begging us for. These may look like:
Stretch when stiffWalk when anxiousShake off energy when you’re angryDance when you feel stagnantRest when tired
🍲 3. Feed it like someone you love
How would you feed someone you love? Feed yourself that way.
Nourishing and nutritious food, restful sleep, enough movement, appropriate hydration, physical and emotional safety – these are the non-negotiables to take care of your body.
Think of yourself as a gaming character, for example, in The Sims 4. They have different bars and levels indicating hunger, energy, and much more. These will directly impact your functioning and hence must always be full.
How can you make it easier for yourself to feed and hydrate your body every day so your non-negotiables remain satisfied?
😴 4. Preserve rest like the treasure it is
Sleep, pauses, resting your mind – they are all our natural needs. We need to pause, slow down, rest and sleep every day.
Look at animals, do they shame themselves in seasons of hibernation? They live in sync with their natural rhythms. They honour their needs and give their body what it needs.
Rest also looks very different for different people, at various times. There are at least 7 types of rest you can practice. These include: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, creative, social and sensory rest.
Sometimes our own tendencies may sabotage our need to rest and sleep. Going within and introspecting may help you explore how to make it easier for yourself to rest.
💆🏻♀️ 5. Reconnect with touch
Oil massages, warm showers, placing a hand on your chest or belly and taking a deep breath – all help your body feel safe and grounded.
We don’t realise the value and beauty of these practices, until we experience their benefits. A simple head massage can take away the stress of your day and a 30-second butterfly hug can calm you down when you don’t have anyone else around.
🌿 6. Respect your body
If you do not nurture respect for your body, the things it helps you do, and the life it helps you live, you may feel blocked on your journey to showing it love.
Respect is the most important aspect of showing love towards your body.
Showing respect can look like:
Saying no when your body says no.Not judging or criticising your body.Not ignoring or neglecting its needs when you are too busy.Setting boundaries to help your body feel safe and comfortable.Giving it exactly what it needs – medicines, supplements, sleep, or a good cry.Talking to it like you would to someone you love.
✨ 7. Thank your body
You don’t have to love how it looks to appreciate what it does.
Breathing. Digesting. Moving. Healing. Showing up.
You can thank your body for just being there for you always.
I can thank my body for allowing me to feel and live life so beautifully through:
Watching sunsets, listening to incredible music, reading poetry, cooking, eating delicious food, painting, smelling beautiful flowers, petting a cute animal, hugging my loved ones, and so much more.
In the end, I’d like to think that my body deserves love for many amazing reasons. And I hope you can see them too. I leave you and myself with this question:
How do I promise to show my body love more often, in ways that feel fulfilling and authentic?
Hope this helped you with connecting and helping yourself. Until next time!
If you have any questions or topics you’d like me to write about on these blogs, you can reach out to me through email at piyusha@gratefulness.me or contact us through the Gratitude App!
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