Fitness: Love Your Body, Love Your Self, by Sandra O’Brien

“My body”, “my meat suit”, “the vessel I use to experience this planet”, whatever you want to call it, one fact remains: Each of us has only one body for this lifetime. How we fuel it, care for it, and maintain it, is solely up to the individual owner. Ideally, we hydrate it with clean water and energize it with whole, real food which has not been processed by man in an attempt to improve upon what Mother Nature has abundantly provided. Even though most of us probably have some idea how to eat for optimal health and energy, our mindsets towards our bodies are often very toxic. For many, it can even be to the point of self-loathing. We don’t like the way we look because we carry too much body fat, or our skin is not clear enough, tight enough or smooth enough. The list of reasons we can find not to be in love with our bodies is long and varied. Becoming aware of these thought patterns, aware of our distaste for our bodies, is the first step towards loving ourselves more. You cannot give to another what you do not possess yourself. Loving yourself unconditionally will open up and improve every relationship you have with others.

There is a very simple way to do this. It will most likely feel very strange and uncomfortable at first, but I strongly encourage you to stay with it for a full forty days and notice the changes it creates. Stand in front of a mirror and look yourself in the eye. See yourself at a soul level, see the essence of who you truly are. Now tell yourself, “I love you unconditionally.” Repeat this, while maintaining eye contact with yourself for one minute. Work your way up to five minutes and do it twice a day. It is easy to schedule in during your morning and evening routines of basic hygiene while brushing teeth and washing your face. The changes you will experience in yourself are worth any feelings of discomfort you may encounter initially.

The notion of loving oneself unconditionally is not something taught in schools or society at large. We are advised to care more about how another feels then about respecting our own feelings. We teach our children to kiss or hug strangers, and/or family members they are not comfortable doing. We say yes to events or helping others, when on the inside we feel over-extended or resentful for “having” to do so. We care more about others’ perceptions then our own inner guidance system. I am not suggesting we become cold-hearted and stop caring about each other. I am suggesting we trust and respect our gut feelings more and care not so much about what others think. Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own happiness. When we put something else ahead of our true desires and needs, we are not only doing a disservice to ourselves, but to every other relationship we have.

Connecting fully to the true essence of who we are, will always allow for flow and joy in all other areas of life. Our bodies are vehicles to fully express the work we are each here to do. In order to fully do this, we must love ourselves unconditionally to best facilitate our true work.

Our bodies are beautiful. They breathe, flow nutrients to cells and organs, repair themselves and continue without any thought or actions by us. They are a very real reflection of divine intelligence. Not accepting our bodies, as they now are, is to reject the universe itself. Accept what now is. You created it. If you are anything less than thrilled with it, I encourage you to change your thoughts and witness the changes which will follow. Abundance of all begins with unconditional love of self.

Sandra O'BrienSandra O’Brien is mother to the world’s three most fabulous children. She is also a Law of Attraction Life Coach, Personal Trainer, and Reiki healer. She is creator of the Bootcamp Goddess system, a female fitness program to blowtorch body fat, sculpt sexy lean muscle and empower women everywhere to be the best version of themselves, inside and out. She enjoys the ocean, fire walking, reading, long walks, meditation, men in linen shirts and a full moon.