Monday, November 14, 2005

A Date with Your Body

Many people who struggle with overeating have no clue what their bodies really want. They look to the Atkins Diet, or the South Beach diet, or even the grapefruit diet to find out what they really need and have little trust that the answer lies inside themselves. Unfortunately, like meddling aunts who think they know what's best for you, diets do not take YOUR body into account. They invite you to forego a relationship with your body and self by abdicating responsibility to them. Isn't it time to stop letting others tell you what's good for you and find out who your body really is?
A client named Stephanie represents what millions of Americans go through every day. She is a strong and financially successful woman who is fiercely independent. She would be irate if anyone tried to tell her what to do, whether in her personal or professional life. And yet, like many others, she relies on the latest diet to decide what to put into her body. If you ask her what her body needs, she spews the latest research on the evil nature of fat and carbohydrates, forgetting that she only allowed carbohydrates to enter her mouth a few years before. She used to be a frantic jogger 10 years ago but now takes a Yogalates class along her other fashionable friends.
Stephanie has no clue what her body really needs. She is willing to make life-changing decisions based on what the "experts" say, rather than her own body. In fact, Stephanie does not know her body. This ally that she lives with, that she could not live her life without, is a stranger to her. Can you imagine having a partner that you never took the time for? Can you imagine asking outsiders for help in how to be in relationship with this partner without listening to input from him or her?
This is what most of you act out onto your body. Your body is your life long partner. Without your body, you do not have a life. Your body works hard for you every day, performing millions of miracles every second you are alive. Do you know this body of yours? Do you know the way it speaks to you? Do you know when it is hungry, tired, or needing to move? Do you take it into consideration before making decisions that considerably impact it? Or do you listen to what outsiders tell you, trusting them rather than yourself?
It is time to make a date with your body. Commit to spending 15 minutes a day listening, really listening. Whether you take a yoga class, meditate, or just get quiet, your body will happily communicate with you. Know that your body may not speak to you the way you expect it. And that each body communicates differently. So be open to its language, and soon, you will be awed by its wisdom. Trust me. Your life will be so much better for it.

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