Appreciate What Your Body Can Do

When it comes to self improvement, we benefit from all the help we can get.  That help starts with us--and that voice that keeps playing in our very own heads.  If those messages are negative and unhelpful, it will make it that much harder to improve.  In short, focus on what you want more of--not on what you don't.

As far as our bodies go, there is often a lot of shame, pressure, judging, comparing and negativity involved.  Simply thinking that your thighs are too big or your arms are too floppy is all it takes.  Those negative thoughts make it that much harder to improve the shape of those thighs and arms.  

This does not have to be.  In fact, instead of focusing on what you might not like about your body, research shows that if you focus on what your body has done for you and can do for you--you are more likely to lose weight.  This is very good news, because we control our thoughts.  We control what we focus on.  We can turn this around.

I am a mom.  I am glad my body made children.  My body does what I ask it to at the gym.  My body gets stronger and more flexible.  My legs walk me to where I want to go and away from where I do not wish to be.  Focusing on these things makes me body confident.  That makes me feel lighter.  

I often tell my yoga students that the only body parts you need to survive are a torso, neck and head.  This is true.  Arms and legs are extras, but I don't know anyone who would give them up no matter whether they look like a photo shopped magazine cover or not.  Even Cindy Crawford, a famous model, once said that she wished she looked like her magazine covers.  Appreciate what you have, and you will have even more.