Day 7 of the Challenge

Ahhh, Sunday morning. Time to relax, read the paper, linger over breakfast or brunch, and chill out with some Body Love. I hope that this week has given you some ideas of new things to try, reminded you of things that are simple yet effective, and truly challenged you in experiencing your body and your self-care rituals differently.

On this last day of the challenge, rather than present you with a specific practice, I invite you to reflect on your own favorites. What do you love to do that you rarely make time for? What one thing, when you’ve remembered or made time for it, always makes you think “Why don’t I do that more often?” What practice, done with your full focus and attention, leaves you feeling at peace with yourself, more connected inside and out?

Spend some time mulling this over — you may even want to do a free write, starting with the prompt “When I make time to…” and writing by hand without stopping for about 5 minutes. This will get your creative juices flowing, and shift you from brain memory to body memory. Maybe you forget how much you love taking baths, and that you have some amazing bath salts that are still unopened. Maybe you loved that foot massage earlier in the week and want to make a habit of giving those puppies some love on a regular basis. Maybe you never make time to get a mani-pedi and remember that your favorite local place is offering a special.

Whatever comes up, that is your practice for today. If it’s something you actually do on a regular basis, like getting a manicure or taking a bath, try to come up with something that’s truly a stretch, a forgotten or neglected yummy activity that never fails to bring you in tune with your deepest sensuality and self-love.

Thanks for taking this journey with me. I hope it has served you, reminded you how big an impact small bits of attention and compassion can have, and given you some good things to add to your repertoire of daily activities and self-care. Share your ‘freestyle’ body love practice with us by posting on the blog. And stay tuned for an offering that will take this topic further, and teach you how to start the new year with even more Body Love!

 

 

Day 6 of the Challenge

Happy Saturday! After a few weekends full of travel and social activity I’m happy to have an unstructured couple of days to relax, catch up on laundry and cleaning without feeling pressure, read, meditate and spend a bit more time on body love practices.

Perhaps you’ve had such a busy week that there hasn’t really been time to devote to each days’ challenge; if so, can you carve out some time this weekend for a mini-retreat of foot massage, dance, breath awareness and conscious eating? Wow, my whole being relaxed just writing that, and it could all be done within the space of an hour. Just one hour and you could shift your whole weekend…

Now on to today’s practice, a restorative yoga posture called legs-up-the-wall pose. The antithesis of active, demanding postures and movements, restorative yoga is about resting fully, often with the aid of pillows, blankets and other props, so that the nervous system and muscles can let go on the deepest levels. It is one of the most luxurious and therapeutic forms of stress relief I know; if this experience should spark a desire to explore further, I highly recommend the seminal book on the subject, Relax and Renew by yoga teacher and physical therapist Judith Lasater.

Here’s how you do it: First pick a place either on the floor or on a bed where you will have clear access to empty wall space. Gather some pillows and a folded blanket or towel to have handy in case you need to adjust for comfort once you are in the pose; you may also want to have an eyebag or clean sock to place over your eyes. Make sure that you have at least 5 uninterrupted minutes for this experience.

Lay on your back with your tush as close to the wall as possible and swing your legs up so you are in an L shape with your legs resting on the wall. You may be able to skooch yourself right up to the wall, or need to be an inch or two away. You can try putting a blanket or pillow under your tush to take some of the strain off the back of your legs, and may want to put a pillow under your head or a rolled towel under your neck for more support, and the eyebag or sock over your eyes so that they too can rest fully.

The goal of this posture is to feel totally supported by the wall, the floor or bed beneath you, and whatever pillows or props you need to surrender your body 100%. Your arms should be away from your body, palms up and fully relaxed; you can also play with placing them up over your head for a nice torso stretch.

 Ahhhh…let go completely into the pose. Adjust as needed to make sure every part of your body is comfortably supported and relaxed. This pose is a wonderful way to release the hamstrings at the back of the thigh, reduce low back strain and revive the legs.

Come out slowly, taking time to lie on your right side before sitting up. Repeat as often as needed! And please do post a comment to let me know how it goes…

Day 5 of the Challenge

Today you get to love your body by eating — yay! But it’s not about gorging or indulging or “treating” yourself. It is about feasting in a very specific way on one individual piece of food, so you can enter into a true relationship with it on every level.

Most of the time, even if we’re eating something really delicious and special, we are doing so in a somewhat mechanical way. Maybe we’re eating with others and focusing on the conversation, so that after that first delicious bite or two our awareness shifts away from what we are putting into our mouths. Maybe we’re sitting at our desk, or driving in the car, and just putting food in so we can fuel ourselves for the next burst of activity. But how often do you fully experience every nuance of what you are eating as you are eating it?

Meditation takes many forms, and today it is about mindful eating. And while you can bring mindful awareness to any meal, for this exercise you’re going to do it with a single piece of fruit.

First, take the fruit you have chosen and hold it in your hand. Feel the weight of it, the texture of the skin, the shape of its contours. Take your time with this exploration; try closing your eyes to heighten your tactile sensitivity.

Then look at this piece of fruit; really see the gradations of color and size, examining the stem end that was once connected to a tree, any markings or ridges or bumps that catch the light in different ways.

Next bring it to your nose and inhale its fragrance. Is it strong or subtle? If you were to smell it without seeing or touching it, would  you recognize it?

On to the eating; is it a fruit you can simply bite into or does it need to be peeled? If so, you will have a chance to feel and smell on several other levels before tasting. And when you take that first bite, bring all of your awareness to the activity and stop at one.

Feel the texture of what has just come into your mouth — let the juiciness and flavor play on your tongue and palate. Chew slowly and thoroughly, until the texture becomes something different. You will probably notice that the flavor changes too as it breaks down and mixes with your saliva. Wait until you have gotten all you can from that one bite before swallowing and moving on to the next.

Take each bite as if it is the first…breathe and enjoy engaging fully with this ripe, delicious, life-giving piece of fruit. Experience it as it goes from your mouth down your esophagus and into your stomach. Envision it sending vitality and nourishment to all of your cells. Enjoy every delicious nuance! And play with bringing this level of awareness and sensitivity to each meal, even if only for a few precious bites.

Day 4 of the Challenge

Here we are, smack in the middle of our week, and I’m wondering how it’s going? Are you finding the practices fun, interesting, boring, challenging? Are you actually doing them or just reading about them? (Confession: I haven’t taken the time to do the dancing yet myself and am putting it in my schedule for tomorrow.)

Today things get a bit more revealing — literally. Today’s practice is to spend at least 5 minutes in front of the mirror without anything on.  We’re used to checking our faces, putting on makeup, fussing with our hair, plucking our eyebrows or brushing our teeth, and probably look in a full length mirror just to check our outfit and make sure everything matches and lays smoothly.

But when was the last time you really looked at yourself, taking in every curve and lump and scar and sag? And if so, were you saying mostly critical things or were you revelling in the beauty of the body that has served you well for so many years?

This might be uncomfortable or anxiety provoking. It might be something you do every day without flinching (if so, please do post below to let me know!). But today, for just a little while, spend time with your naked self in front of the mirror without judgment or sarcasm.

See yourself as you would view a great painting by Rubens or Van Gough. Look with the eyes of a lover who sees you for exactly who you are — the woman who has borne children, or had surgeries, or lost a breast, or struggled with her weight — and adores what he or she sees because it is the manifestation of the beloved. Express gratitude for the arms that carry, the legs that stride purposefully, the belly that digests and softens with time and expands to take a deep breath.

Appreciate; enjoy; take pride; this amazing vehicle carries you through life, enduring tight shoes and bras and jeans that are too snug but make your butt look great. It’s the only home you’ve got and it is a perfectly crafted vessel. Give it the love, attention and honor it deserves.