Appreciate your body
Summary
- When you think of someone you like, how much does teh way they look factor into your likeing htem? probebly very little. Thats how other people see us too
Details
- When we meet someone new, the way they look fades away after a few minutes as we get to tknow them
- Accept your body by thinking about your qualities and skills
References
Quotes
To have more acceptance of your body, start by bringing to mind some people you like and respect. How much does the way they look matter to you? Probably very little. Also think about meeting new people. How long does it take to get past how they look to a deeper sense of them? Probably less than a minute. We worry about what others are thinking about how we look, but usually they are thinking about it about as much as we are thinking about their appearance…not much at all!
Say to yourself things like: “Left foot, I accept you…right foot, you are acceptable to me…left lower leg, I can accept you as you are…right lower leg, accepting you, too.” Let the sense of acceptance grow and spread in your mind. Relax and let go of judgments.
Besides accepting your body, can you appreciate it? Suppose you had a friend with a body like yours—as well as the talents, skills, good heart, and other virtues that you have. Also suppose that this friend is preoccupied, self-conscious, or self-critical about his or her body in whatever ways you are yourself. Imagine some of the reasonable, compassionate, and encouraging things you might say to this friend. You could write these down if you want. Then say them to yourself inside your mind or even out loud.