At the beginning of each new year, the newspapers, television programs, blogs and magazines roll out advice, plans and programs to help you lose weight and get fit – it’s everywhere! And much of this hype can lead you to believe there is something wrong with you that needs to be fixed – that you are broken and in need of repair. So, even though the beginning of the year is an auspicious time to make changes, the tendency to be overzealous in your expectations can be a set up for a serious case of worry-wart; stressed, obsessed, critical and overwhelmed. Sound familiar?

The beginning of a meaningful endeavor to get fit, eat healthy and regain or enhance your current state of well-being must begin with one thing – and it’s the one thing that nobody wants to hear: You must accept yourself as you are right here and right now. This does NOT mean that you are powerless to make the changes you desire; allowing for what IS gives you a place to begin, an awareness of this moment. If you don’t accept where you are NOW, how can you possibly move forward? You have to be aware of point A in order to move toward point B. Make sense?  If you approach yourself with awareness, compassion and possibility, then the potential for change is vast and the rewards substantial. If you approach yourself with judgment, denial and demand, then the potential is narrow and leads to disappointment and defeat.

The idea is to access that in you which is already compassionate, aware, kind and caring – this already exists. You don’t have to invent it or create it – it always has been and always will be an innate and integral part of who you are. It often gets  overshadowed  by judgment, rigid thinking, worrying, stressing, pushing too hard . . . it gets buried and forgotten. You may begin to believe the lie that you are flawed, broken beyond repair , not worthy of your love – all of which leads to giving up, becoming overly aggressive or just plain mean to yourself.

Here is a suggestion for the new year; don’t immediately start a new exercise/diet regime. Instead, take 2 weeks, a mere 14 days, to cultivate a loving relationship with what is. Here are some ways to begin:

• Practice loving kindness: Catch yourself in negative self-talk and stop. Instead, put your hand on your heart, close your eyes, take a breath and say, silently or out loud, “I love you.” Do this as many times and as often as you like. Do it before you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night.
• Take stock of what is: As compassionately and as honestly as possible, notice what is. It might be things like; I’m uncomfortable with my weight, I’m not sleeping very well, I feel irritable a lot, I don’t have enough energy. Do this in a way that is non-judgmental – view this as information and not a list of what’s wrong with you (pretend you are talking with a caring counselor or coach that is gathering information in order to understand how to best support you). It is only from this vantage point of discernment that you can begin to take meaningful action.
• Get conscious of your current habits: Record what and when you eat and how you feel during and after.  Don’t change anything yet, just observe. You can do the same thing with your current exercise regime.

The important thing for these 2 weeks is not to change anything, but to come into a loving, compassionate, conscious and relaxed (worry-free) relationship to what is – to begin to quiet the judgment and awaken to your own capacity to care deeply for yourself.  It is from this place that you can begin to make decisions that are meaningful – that support your health, your well-being, your vitality; your life.

Deep Blessings to You, Carol

“To the ancient Greeks, every symptom was seen as a visitation from the gods . . . The ailments of the body were really cures for the soul. And whatever cured the soul was the fundamental and necessary medicine for the body. By addressing the symptoms – listening to them, honoring them, being with them, welcoming their divinity – the soul would find its way through the mists and the grey clouds raining poison on the body would lift.”

Marc David

Tags: aware, becoming, being, body intelligence, body wisdom, bodymind, conscious, diet, exercise, fitness, health, integral, loving kindness, resolution, self image, weight loss, well being

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2010 at 10:55 am and is filed under e-rhythms: Tips for Conscious Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.