Journal
Body Gratitude
by Rebecca Giorgilli
January 27, 2018
Our bodies can bring so much beauty to this world.
“Our struggle ends when gratitude begins.” Neale Donald Walsch.
Women have been raging a war against their own bodies for a long long time. It’s not entirely our fault, perhaps your mother and her mother never loved their bodies, perhaps it’s the media, perhaps you were never taught. But playing the blame game won’t get us anywhere… so let’s go back to the beginning.
Our bodies are our own private temples. They are the greatest instruments we have, and our greatest ally in this world. They are a gift, a beautiful and miraculous gift, that when given a chance, can carry you to your greatest destiny.
Our bodies truly are one giant living miracle. When I watch an Olympian athlete, a dancer or a yoga master I can do nothing but marvel at what the human form is capable of, given enough energy, passion, and practice. We can climb the world’s highest mountains, play a Mozart concerto, embrace another with arms outstretched and give a fellow human being a helping hand.
But most of all, our bodies have an unlimited capacity to bring us pleasure. Juicy, sensual, delicious pleasure in all its glorious forms…
Our bodies work so hard for us all day long. We are comprised of an estimated 37.2 trillion cells that bring us to life. Our bodies are an extremely intricate, sophisticated and complex machine that allows us to see, touch, taste and feel the rapture of being alive without even having to try. They are just so truly miraculous and just so incredibly magical.
When we really stop and consider all the miracles they perform, our bodies really do deserve a big hug. They deserve our gratitude, our support and our love just for breathing, for moving, and for quite simply keeping us alive.
Today I would like you to thank your body, instead of criticising it.
When we are in a space of gratitude, there isn’t any room for negativity.
When you look at your body in the mirror, try thanking each and every part of yourself for what it has given you. For the heart, the mind and the soul would never be, without a body to cradle them.
Thank your heart for pumping and for the capacity to feel love. Thank your lungs for breathing, thank your arms for the ability to hug your children, thank your eyes for seeing the beauty in this world, thank your stomach for digesting the life-affirming food you eat, thank your legs for carrying you, thank your back for supporting you and even thank your periods, for without them you could never birth another precious life into this world.
It’s exhilarating to really feel the vitality of your body, even sitting quietly, and to experience the pleasure it can bring you.
There are people out there who cannot walk barefoot on the sand, who cannot whisper words of love, who cannot see the beauty of a sky full of stars and cannot hear the magic of music. Never take your precious body for granted. It is the only one you have in this lifetime, and its the most amazing gift you will ever have as your own.
We are in a relationship with our body, whether we like it or not. We need it and it needs us. My flaws won’t necessarily disappear when I take care of my body, but at the end of the day, my flaws won’t prevent me from being the person I came here to be. I can still watch sunsets, fall in love, sing my heart out, dance to my favourite tunes and play hide and seek with my children, even with my love handles!
“God made a very obvious choice when he made me voluptuous; why would I go against what he decided for me? My limbs work, so I’m not going to complain about the way my body is shaped.” Drew Barrymore.
Bottom line is, we are brilliant designs of nature, and the more I take care of my body, the more I enjoy life. So let’s honour them, nurture them and love them and they will thank you with vibrancy, energy and life force.
Why not try setting your body a challenge. Tick one of those items off your bucket list, learn to do a yoga headstand, dance the cha-cha, hula-hoop, surf, hike the Himalayas, play an instrument or run a marathon. Allow your body to show you what its truly capable of… amaze yourself!
So, the next time you hear those tiny voices of judgement burrowing their way into your head, always count your blessings and love the hell out of every inch of your body.
To your blossoming xxx
