Dr. Christiane Northrop
So many of us, especially women, look into the mirror and focus in on all the aspects of ourselves that we think are wrong with us -- blemishes on the skin, rolls of fat, the width of our hips, body parts we consider to be too fat or too skinny or too old or too whatever. It's exhausting! And it's sickening... literally. Hating ourselves -- any part of ourselves -- can make us sick. So how do you get to the point where you can look in the mirror at your naked body and love every last bit of yourself? It doesn't and shouldn't have to wait until you get the "perfect" body -- an impossible ideal anyway. You can love your body the way it is right now. Here are some exercises designed to get you to love your body. And honey, you should. Your body is divine.
Look in the mirror and appreciate what you see
Set some alone time aside for yourself. Turn off your phone, the tv, and any other distractions. Now strip down to your birthday suit and sit down in front of a mirror. And now start looking at your body. Take each body part and start finding positive aspects of each body part. It doesn't matter how you start. You can start with the body parts you like the most (or at least find least objectionable) or you can start from your head down to your toes or vice versa. Just pick and start finding things. This may be hard at first. So many of us are used to looking for what's wrong. It may take a while to figure out what's right. Maybe you can appreciate the lovely blush color of your check, the gorgeous curve of your calf, the muscle tone in your thighs, the smoothness of your forearms, that your eyes can see, your ears can hear, your legs carry you and allow you to dance, etc. Find at least one thing positive to say about every body part and only allow yourself to look for positive aspects. Absolutely no criticisms or negativity are allowed during this game! Do this exercise once and see how you feel. If there are parts of your body that you are particularly negative towards, appreciate those body part for several minutes a day. Spend a minute or two on each body part every morning. This is a very powerful exercise that can transform your whole outlook on your body. It will make you feel better and it's likely to show on the outside. Don't be surprised if other people suddenly start noticing and appreciating how fabulous you look.
Create positive body affirmations
This exercise works very well with the one above it. When you first look in the mirror, you may notice that the negative thoughts you normally think about your body start popping up... "My belly is too big," "My thighs are too wide," "My boobs are too small," etc. You get the point. Take these negative thoughts and turn them around to create positive affirmations about your body. For example, you can use affirmations like "My curves are sexy and perfect," "My breasts are perky and divine," or simply "I am beautiful." Say these affirmations aloud three times in the morning when you wake up and three times before going to bed. You can also use them whenever the negative self-talk about your body comes up throughout the day. When you use these positive affirmations enough, they'll start to become your dominant belief. And all of a sudden you'll look in the mirror and realize "wow, I am gorgeous!"
Treat your body like a temple
When you treat your body like the divine temple that it is, you will be able to appreciate and love it. What does treating your body like a temple mean? It means feeding yourself healthful foods that are nutritious and delicious. And when you eat, sit down and eat on your finest china. Savor your food. Make every meal a celebration ... a celebration of he divine being that is you. Eating this way will feel good and healthy eating will promote healthy skin and hair, strong bones, and an ideal body weight.
Treating your body like a temple also means giving your body sufficient exercise. Engage in activities that move your body and your soul -- go for a hike, take a yoga class, play basketball, go dancing, roller skate, or hula hoop. Engage in an activity that makes you happy and do so on a daily basis. Regular exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem, self-image, and energy levels. You can't go wrong.
Lastly treating your body like a temple means respecting your body's needs. That may include getting sufficient rest, having safe sex, or getting a massage to work out any stress knots. If you listen to and respect your body temple, you'll soon be loving every inch of your fine self.
Wear clothes that really flatter you at the size and shape you are now
One last suggestion for loving your fine self is to wear clothes that flatter you at the size and shape that you are now. This is important, because few things are worse for self-esteem than ill-fitting clothes. When you look bad, you feel bad.
The first step to wearing flattering clothes is to get rid of all the ill-fitting ones. Clear out everything in your closet that does not make you look divine now -- that includes those "skinny jeans" and the "fat pants." If you need help in this department recruit a friend you trust who can brutally honest with you. Sit down one afternoon and evening and sort through all your clothes. If an item doesn't flatter you at your current size, throw it in a bag to give to charity and get rid of the bag the same day!
If your closet is lacking after the above exercise, you may want to go a bit of shopping. If you have trouble finding clothes that are stylish and flattering you may want to enlist the services of a personal shopper (or that brutally honest friend if she has good fashion sense). A personal shopper need not be expensive. In fact, many department stores offer a free personal-shopping service. You make an appointment--telling the shopper what you're looking for and your style--and when you arrive, a dressing room is waiting with clothes to try on. You buy only what you like--or nothing. Smaller boutiques also offer this kind of service, although they often don't have the inventory to pull together head-to-toe ensembles.
If you can afford to pay for it, there are also independent shoppers/image consultants who'll scour a variety of stores, for a fee, to find the right clothes for you, bringing selections to your home or office. Image consultants can also work with you on hair, makeup, and cleaning out your closet (again if you don't have access to that brutally honest and stylish friend).
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