Caring for the body we call home

My body is home.

As I sit and ready to write, I am smiling so big. I am “tasked” with writing about our relationship with our bodies, and I am thrilled to do so. More than music, poetry, or other artistic expression, the body tells our story and expresses the fullness of our unique human experience. In all the world of billions of bodies, you’ll never find a body of the same make and model as your own. Incredible. How could I not love writing about the body!

Every seven years, our body replaces itself. Every single cell is brand new. This means we are in a constant state of renewal, even as we age. You’d think it might choose wrinkle-free skin cells when replacing the old ones, right? And yet, this walk we are all on, toward our disappearance from this life, is the story unfolding like art on the body. I am mesmerized by my mother’s 90-year-old hands and the story they tell of her long life, strength, and gentleness. Amazing.

Our body comes with so many bells and whistles. It’s possible none of us will ever tap all the potential held within our body. Sometimes it takes extreme stress before we know what our body is capable of. We’ve all heard the remarkable stories. How one day we ask the body to lift a car so we can save a life and amazingly we find out it/we can. Astounding.

For me there is a shadow side to owning a body; just like a house, it requires upkeep to maintain it. I read recently that Plato said, “Attention to health is life’s greatest hinderance.” I cracked up and thought, “same, Plato!” And yet, like me, you may recognize your body could use some TLC, and that’s OK. That’s part of how we love our bodies—by recognizing when it is time to take care with them.

I have never experienced someone hating their body into a place of health, healing, or vitality. Therefore, I have concluded that loving our body is the answer to what ails us. Taking care of our body is the foundation for a lifetime of well-being. So, today I invite you to join me in committing wholeheartedly to the well-being of our body. Let’s give ourselves some time to discover more reasons to love and celebrate the gift of inhabiting our body. Yes.

Xo – s

I’ve listed a few more reason I love my body below. I’ve also included links to articles I read to inspire me into new ways of loving my body. Enjoy!

1. Our body is the one part of us that cannot leave the present moment. Therefore, it is our access portal to right now, and right now is where we are creating our lives in real time. When we inhabit our bodies in real time, we gain access to all the body’s resources, making us a superpower in the present moment.
2. Our body is the vehicle for taking in the nourishment the earth offers us. We breathe the air, take in the warmth of the sun, feel the soft touch of a flowing river, and on and on and on!
3. Our body tells us the truth of our experience. It speaks quietly, so only we can hear and when we listen, we learn we can trust our intuition and insight.
4. Our body belongs only to us. It is 100% ours. It’s home, and we have the key.
5. Our body connects us to each other.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-of-healing-thoughts/

https://drcynthia.com/love-heals/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20love%20encourages%20your,Dr.

https://www.thecut.com/2016/05/you-could-probably-lift-a-car-if-you-really-needed-to.html