Body Lovin' the Third Week of October

Originally posted October 17, 2011

There are a lot of exciting things going on this week in the body lovin' world. I thought I'd share a couple real fast so you'd be sure not to miss out.

October 19th (this Wednesday) is Love Your Body Day. What exactly is this day all about? Well, from the site here is a quick summary:

"Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make each of us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts -- lips, legs, breasts -- airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that 80% of U.S. women are dissatisfied with their appearance?

Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries can't use negative images to sell their products without our assistance.

Together, we can fight back."

This is something I can get behind. I don' t know about you, but there are times I just want to be told that I'm okay just the way I am. As part of this day Rosie Molinary has written a Body Warrior Pledge. I'm really excited about the pledge. It's beautiful. So I went over signed up (which automatically entered me into an awesome giveaway), and I encourage all of you to check it out.

This body pledge was a wake up call for me. Since I got pregnant I have been obsessing about my weight and body. It's been very hard around here to keep a healthy perspective. I have found myself getting lazy, beating myself up, and eating poorly because "who-cares-I'm-going-to-get-fat-and-feel-like-crap-anyway" syndrome has been easing into my life. But I'll tell you more about that another day. The bottom line is that I needed a reminder of what I really believe and want to foster in my life.

The other cool thing about this week (and something I certainly needed to recommit to) is that this week is Fat Talk Free Week. Don't ask me who comes up with all this stuff, but I'm sure glad they did. Now, if you need a reminder of how I feel about Fat Talk you can read this post. I truly believe that nothing will change until we stop body bashing ourselves and others just to fit in. So, I have pledged to end fat talk and hope you will do the same by clicking on over here.

Let's make this week a positive week. Life is too busy and stressful to be adding body shame to our daily lives. Get rid of it!

Celebrate movement and beauty

Originally posted September 12, 2011

I took my morning constitutional today. What a beautiful day. September has given way to cooler temperatures. I no longer start sweating the second I step out my front door. What a relief. It rained last night and everything smelled fresh. Some of the leaves are beginning to turn. It makes me so happy. I love fall. Gardens are being harvested, flowers are still out in full beauty, and everything just seems calmer while we wait for nature to move forward. I had the majestic mountains that I love so much to one side of me, and a gorgeous view of the valley and the lake beyond on the other. Life was good. Above us some very loud birds caught our attention as they soared through the air. Cormac leaned clear back in his stroller, looked up, and whispered under his breath "wow." I couldn't agree more. Wow.

But I wasn't just enjoying nature this morning. I was enjoying the feel of the pavement and dirt roads beneath my feet. I love to walk. It makes me happy. I love looking at the scenery. I love seeing new neighborhoods. I love, love, love looking at the houses that surround me. I walked 3.5 to 4 miles today. How blessed I am that I can do that. I'm on Cloud 9 already because I felt this little baby move for the first time yesterday. How incredible, not only can my body walk and move, but I'm blessed to have a little person growing inside of me. What is there not to rejoice about?

Let's switch gears for just a second. Don't worry, I'll bring us full circle. Did you know that this month is National Yoga Month! (Who makes this stuff up? Do you know? I sure don't, but I'm going with it anyway.) As a fan of yoga I am naturally excited about it. Let me tell you a bit about me and yoga. I came to yoga out of desperation. My body was in constant, unexplained pain and I had heard yoga could help. So I got a DVD and gave it a shot. It was so very hard. I couldn't reach my toes. Downward Dog was the hardest thing I had ever done. I couldn't hold it for more than a few short breaths. But after each practice my pain would ease up and I would have a few minutes of beautiful relief. So I kept at it. I was amazed that within just a couple of short weeks I could touch my toes with ease. Downward Dog took more time to feel comfortable (and is still a challenging pose for me thanks to my weak and inflexible shoulders). But what was exciting was what I could do. And how fast my body adapted to yoga. It was like we were made for each other. My body wanted yoga, craved it, and responded well when I would practice. It was love.

It makes me sad when I hear people say they can't do yoga because they aren't this, that, or the other. They are missing the point. Yoga has never been about what you can't do. Yoga is a celebration of what the body can do. So maybe you can't turn yourself into a pretzel, but you can do a beautiful headstand. There are so many possibilities with yoga. And your body changes with each practice. With each practice you can do a little more. Your body wants it. And it's a beautiful and amazing thing to celebrate the things that our bodies can do.

As I was walking this morning I was thinking about how boring the world would be if it were all mountains or all plains. But it isn't. It is diverse and beautiful. And it should be celebrated. The Earth i s a gift that we've been given from God. It should be celebrated. But how much more should we be celebrating our bodies. They are different, diverse, and oh so beautiful. They are gifts from God. Special gifts that He constructed just for us. Each is unique. Each has its own abilities. And each is beautiful and needed.

So celebrate that beautiful body this month. Move in a way that makes you feel fantastic. Try some yoga and this time don't you dare look at your neighbor or the person on your screen to compare what you look like with them. No. Instead acknowledge the greatness that is your own body and movements. You are beautiful. Take a few minutes to celebrate that.

On Falling in Love With Yourself Every Day

Originally posted July 14, 2011

I am excited to introduce the amazing Mara from Medicinal Marzipan. She has graciously agreed to grace us with her presence here today. Enjoy!

Have you ever been so busy running around, striking things off of your to do list, taking care of everyone around you, that you forget to take a second to celebrate the things that make you unique? Sometimes I will find myself storming around, “being productive,” but so out of touch with myself that I completely forget I have needs outside of things I need to get done. Thus, this summer, I have promised myself that I would cut myself a little slack and dedicate some time everyday to love myself. This is a major self-esteem booster, but it also helps to remind you to slow down, create your own space, and remember that you are important too!

1. Buy yourself a new CD. Create yourself a stellar Pandora station. Make yourself a new playlist of all of your old favorites. Turn off the voice that says your favorite song just isn’t cool, or the one that tells you what you really SHOULD be listening to. Crank the radio up to top volume. Jump around, dance by yourself, scream your favorite lyrics at the top of your lungs.

2. Find yourself an outfit that makes you feel like your very best self, whatever that may mean to you. Do you have a secret hankering to feel sexy? Sturdy? Butch? Girly? Adult? Find or buy yourself something that fits and flatters your body. Get dressed up. Strut. Repeat.

3. Play with children, animals, or your friends. Run around with reckless abandon. Remember what it feels like to get called in off the playground, sweaty and ready to fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow. Take your shoes off, and feel your toes in the grass or sand. Play a game that you haven’t played since you were a kid. Get out the chalk and draw yourself up a hopscotch board.

4. Do something nice for someone else, without expecting anything in return. Bring them flowers, make an old school mixtape with all of their favorite songs, clean up their room, or do their laundry. Making someone else feel loved boosts your own self-love. You are a generous, loving, and wonderful person! Give your love freely and without wondering what goodies you’ll get in return. I promise that when you’re selfless and forthcoming you will get that back tenfold.

5. Tell your family how much you love them, whether they are nuclear, extended, or adopted. Forgive people for those grudges that you’re holding on to with a clenched fist. Free up the energy that you’ve been keeping wrapped up in anger and frustration. Hold a mini (safe) bonfire and burn up all those love letters from an Ex who dumped you. Clear out old stuff cluttering up your living space. Let it all go.

6. Do something that really makes you feel special. Invest in your talents. Buy yourself the most perfect sketchbook that you’ve been coveting from afar, or the AV cable that you need to stream your I-pod to your car stereo. Spend the afternoon learning how to use HTML to make your blog even better. You are so worth it - revel in that feeling.

7. Tell all of your friends about something that has been really inspirational to you. Read a little blog that doesn’t have many followers? Had a session with a therapist that changed your life? Found a delicious new snack at the grocery store? Tell EVERYONE. Share the wealth.

What are your favorite things to do to make yourself feel special and loved?

Mara blogs (almost) daily over at Medicinal Marzipan about body image, self-love, and authentic living.  She can be found rabble rousing on facebook and twitter, and in your very own inbox. Don’t hesitate to hit her up with any of your body image questions or comments! xox

The different faces of health

Originally posted June 28, 2011

 I have been ruminating over the fact that "health" looks different on every person. Just like no two people look the same, no two healthy lifestyles look the same. Sometimes we get caught up in the idea that the healthy way we live is the healthy way everyone should live, but this isn't necessarily the case.

Take for example napping during the day. There are some who simply function better with a nap. Pregnant women, for example, often need that extra sleep to keep them going. This is not to say that it is lazy or unhealthy in these people. No, they just need a nap. But in someone else needing a nap to get through the day could be a sign of serious illness or depression.

One of the best examples I can think of is water intake. While I think it is true that most of us (me included) do not drink nearly enough water (not diet soda folks, water) I do not think that the recommended 8 glasses of 8 oz is necessarily true for everyone. There are some individuals who probably don't need as much. And I know for a fact that some people need much more (especially those working outside in the hot summer sun).

There is really no "one size fits all" when it comes to everything about health. A vegetarian or vegan lifestyle might be incredibly healthy for some, but others might be using that lifestyle as a form of restriction fueling an eating disorder they have yet to address.  We are often quick to judge when someone does something we disagree with, but who's to say that for that individual eating meat isn't exactly what their body needs in order to thrive? Oh I agree there are things that are clearly unhealthy and things that are clearly more healthy than others. But on a large scale perspective do we really have a right to judge the health of another person because they choose differently than we do in a few areas?

Size is the biggest debate for most when it comes to health. We see a curvy woman and assume that she never exercises, eats potato chips, drinks soda, and has simply given up trying to be healthy. But this is an unfair judgement. Sure there are folks out there that fit this description, but there are a lot of skinny people who could also be categorized as such. No, there are many fantastic curvy people who are leaps and bounds above some of their thinner peers on the health scale.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that our health is entirely personal. No one should tell us what is and isn't best for our bodies. Doctors can make suggestions. We can read the books on good nutrition. We can learn how to move our bodies to exercise that we enjoy from a teacher or instructor. But none of these resources (who are likely just trying to help) live in your body. None of them knows that after running or doing heavy cardio you get migraines and can't see straight for the rest of the day. None of them gets that you aren't being lazy by taking a nap; your body just requires more rest than the average person. You are the only one that knows what feels good and what doesn't.

It's time to stop looking around to figure out what is healthy. It's time to start turning inward and asking your body what it wants and needs. Trust me, it knows. With a little practice you'll be able to figure it out, and your life will be more full and much more healthy because of it.

Learning from my toddler

This morning I sat down at my computer to write a blog. I really didn't have anything specific in mind just yet. A few ideas here and there. I sat down to see if I could make something happen on the screen when my little one had a complete and total meltdown. Apparently, sitting on mommy's lap eating crackers and watching The Fantastic Mr. Fox while mommy blogged was just not going to cut it this morning. He needed mom's full attention. And honestly, I needed his as well. So we played. Had a good breakfast. Gave him a bath. And made funny faces. It was a wonderful morning.

I admire Cormac for his knowledge of exactly what he needs. This isn't always the case. And he isn't always able to communicate those needs, but he seems pretty direct. Some days he can play on his own. Others he needs more love and interaction. Some days he doesn't want to eat much, others he does. The poor little man is trying to grow in some molars right now. If you were growing molars you might just need some extra love from your mom too. He is just so in tune with his needs. 

It makes me wonder why and how we ever become detached. I got the following comment from my aunt yesterday (I have the most awesome aunts):

"I always love your blogs. You always make me think. I find it interesting that we don't have time to have our bodies get sick. Been there, done that! Who is this "we"? Our spirits? Perhaps the goal should be to get our spirits and bodies more in tune with each other. Then maybe we can heal faster. Great post!!" 

First off thanks for the compliments. It's good for my ego. But I know I'm not the only one that stays separate from my body in a sense. There is me, and then there's my body. Huh? Cormac isn't two, he is one. Shouldn't we all be one?

So often I don't pay attention to what I really need. I'm too busy doing this, that, or the other. Look at yesterday's post, for example. We've been BUSY around here. So busy that I haven't taken time for exercise or eating really well. I've just been going from one thing to the next. Trying to make sure that I spend some time with Cormac in between everything else.

Last night as I was teaching my first class in the new studio (!) I realized how much my body craves yoga. I needed to do it. It felt so so good to move. In the effort to get a studio I had left behind my personal practice. All the weeks of heavy work have made me sore. What better way to fix it than to do yoga.

Anyway, as I was thinking about things that our bodies crave I came across a fun post from Already Pretty, check it out. What does your body crave and need? Why not take some extra time this weekend to do something nice for your body. And enjoy the beautiful weather (if it is indeed beautiful where you are).

Just a little teaser. This is the back wall of the studio. We still have a lot of work to do, so stay tuned at a later date for before and after pictures.