When was the last time you showed appreciation for your body and all it does to support and move you? If you are like many, you’ve had a ore negative tone during recent conversations with your physical structure. Perhaps you’ve heard yourself expressing resentment for your pain. Or, you’ve bemoaned your lack of flexibility, poor motion, or uneasy balance. Additionally, maybe you’ve been upset about lackluster race results. Actually, the list goes on and on.
Why am I writing about this now? Because February is the month of love! So, I encourage you to extend your feelings of affection and tenderness beyond chocolate and cards to include your body. Instead of lamenting your flaws, celebrate your skills and positive attributes. In other words, realize that your body is amazing! It allows you to perform basic actions such as reaching, bending and standing. Additionally, it enables you to perform more complex tasks such as dancing, skiing and swimming.
When you’re in pain, it is hard to find compassion for a body that seems to have abandoned you. I have felt this way, too. Many times, I thought that I was doing everything right to keep my body in the best shape possible, only to be repeatedly knocked down with injury and poor performances. In order to combat this, I had to change the way I interpreted my body’s messages.
Let me explain. Your body tells you that something isn’t working right when it gives you discomfort, muscle tightness and compromised sports technique. Since your muscles and joints can’t talk, the only way they can get your attention is through feeling. The physical sensation of pain is your body’s last resort mechanism to make you aware that something is wrong.
Rather than working against me, my body was doing all it could to allow me to continue my chosen activities. My body was trying to help me despite its limitations. When I ignored my body’s messages, I rationalized that I was just having a bad day, so I continued to push my body until it could no longer go on. I had to stop and listen through injury and extreme agony.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re body isn’t functioning at 100%, take time to find out what’s going on. Then, address your issues. Determine what your body craves, and then take action. Perhaps you’re not sleeping enough and your body can’t recover. Maybe stress has worn you down, and your body desires some relaxation and pampering. Or, maybe your nutrition isn’t adequate for your lifestyle, stretching and range of motion activities need to be added to your regimen to balance your motion, or the strain of continuous exercise has taken its toll and healing therapies are required. Whatever you need, take the time and devote the energy necessary to love your body today and everyday. You and your body deserve it!
