Monday, September 28, 2015

A Love Letter to Your Body

For the past two years, I've been sending out a Love Letter to any sweet soul who craves a bit of free adoration in their email inbox each month. I've never published one to anybody outside of the subscriber list, but I thought I'd share this month's because it hits on something I think we've all struggled with at some point: body love.

Without further adieu, a love letter to you...

Dearest,

I was talking with a client a few weeks ago when she confessed to using some really nasty self talk around her body. “Get your fat ass on the treadmill” was one of her meanest mantras. Big self-bully. Not the way a girl should speak any body, let alone her own body.

Together, she and I came up with a script of much kinder words that would ultimately be more supportive of her goal to get in better shape.

The session with her got me thinking about how we talk to ourselves. And because I think all of us could probably use a little self love, this month’s letter is dedicated to
your body.

I want you to remember why you should adore the skin you’re in. I want to remind you why you’re lovable from head to toe.

Dearest you, I love your body because of…

Your hair that, at one point or another, has served as a playground for someone’s fingers

Your eyes that not only take in the world around them, but see when someone is hurting and encourage you to reach out
 

Your ears that tune themselves to the needs of friends and family members, listen to laughter, sorrows and secrets, and sometimes lend a lobe for nibbling

Your mouth that speaks its truth and bites it tongue; that relishes the pleasures of a good meal or glass of wine; and that, hopefully, has stolen more than a few kisses over time

Your neck that holds your head up high, turns your face away from people who don’t deserve your time, and bends gently in the direction of those who do


Your shoulders that bear the proverbial weight of your world, but that also serve as a contact point for you and strangers you pass on the street—a reminder that we’re all in this together 

 
Your back that has encased that powerful backbone of yours, helping you stand up straight, stand up for yourself and sometimes give piggybacks to eager riders

Your belly that has flexed in hysterical giggles, swelled in the afterglow of Thanksgiving dinner, possibly protruded with the growth of a little one, and blessed you with more than one instinctive gut feelings


Your hips that may have been a cradle for lovers, a channel for children, and their own beatbox, bumping back and forth to your favorite songs on the dance floor, spreading joy with every single shake

Your knees that have supported you in everything from pulling weeds in your garden to praying at a mighty altar to kneeling at a humble bedside

Your feet, that have held their ground even when you wanted to run, and carried you through life even when you weren’t certain which step to take next


Your body is magnificent.

It is a work of art that chronicles every day of your life so far. Its scars are badges of honor. Its divots and curves, signs of growth. Its lines, indicators of experience.

I love it.
All of it.

I hope you do, too.


XXOO,

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Is It Time for a Full Reset?


My laptop has been acting a bit wonky lately. Last week, the little battery charge icon got a scary X through it and wouldn't recharge when I plugged it in. A quick Google search revealed that the battery didn't just need to be recharged—it needed to be reset. I had to power down, pull out the battery, push some buttons, say some prayers, do 10 jumping jacks, and then replace everything and wait to see if the battery would go back to recharging.

It worked.

And it made me think about our own batteries. The ones that power our sense of well-being.

Most of us try to regularly recharge our batteries with naps or stolen moments reading magazines or watching The Bachelor with girlfriends. But like my laptop, I think most of us are in major need of full-blow battery resets.

What would resetting your battery look like for you? 

What would you do to escape, power down, and shut off before you had to get back at it?

My husband and I slipped away for two days of camping and hiking earlier this week and it was the perfect way to reset. Breathing the pine-scented air, working up a sweat on the trails, eating s'mores—all of it was the exact kind of restoration we needed. And while we were away, my laptop battery got to enjoy a nice, long nap.

How can you give yourself a restoration reset sooner than later?

Doing whatever it takes might be the key to turning yourself into an energy powerhouse.