Dear Body,

Thank you. Thank you for the incredible service you’ve given me so far. Today, I choose to focus on all the things you do right, on everything that’s working well. I want to celebrate every little thing that makes you uniquely wonderful.

Is my body my ally or an adversary? The truth is, it’s neither. It’s a reflection of how I treat myself. Pain is not punishment; it’s a signal. It’s your way of crying out for love. And I want you to know, I hear you. I see you. And I love you.

When a part of you aches, I will pay special attention to it, blanketing that area with love. I will gently say, “I love you,” to the sore muscles, the tense joints, the parts that are calling out for care.

Restlessness is your whisper, urging me to move, reminding me that you were built for movement. Walking, cycling, swimming—these are the ways you come alive. How can I expect you to rest if I don’t let you move, let you tire?

Tension is your signal that I’ve been too focused, too habitual, too involved, or too scared. Chronic tension in my shoulders might be a shield I built in childhood, a habit formed in response to stress or trauma. But today, I recognize it, and I choose to release it.

Inflammation is your way of saying I’m off track, that my thoughts, my words, my choices—especially around nutrition—are misaligned. What else can you do but turn up the volume when I’ve commandeered the loudspeaker of negativity?

Our thoughts shape our reality, as Louise Hay so beautifully put it: “Our thoughts are creative. They contribute to everything we do in life.”

So today, I make a promise:

1. I refuse to criticize myself. I am okay just as I am, and I can make positive changes.
2. I love myself enough to stop scaring myself. I choose not to terrorize myself with frightening thoughts. Instead, I’ll gently shift my focus to what uplifts and inspires.
3. I will be gentle, kind, and patient with myself. I’ll treat myself like someone I really care about. Impatience is simply a disruptor, and I choose to celebrate every small step toward becoming 1% better every day.

Your mind is a garden, and your thoughts are the seeds. What are you cultivating in your Secret Garden?

4. I will be kind to my mind. Self-hatred is hating the thoughts I have, but today, I embrace unconditional personal regard. I am lovable simply because I exist.
5. I will praise myself. I’ll tell myself, “You are a good body! I am so happy you are mine!” I’ll allow myself to accept good things.
6. I will support myself. I will reach out for help when needed and offer support to others, knowing that refusing help is a form of self-bashing.
7. I will love even the negative parts of me. Everyone has their haunts, even the most learned among us. I am a matter of shadows as well as light. I created those regretful thoughts, and I can uncreate them. I choose to release them with love, replacing them with something better.
8. I will take care of my body. This is my vehicle for living. I’ll keep my house—my body—clean and healthy, feeding it with good nutrition and loving care.

Every part of me deserves love: my feet, legs, bum, belly, breasts, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, and head. I won’t fight my body; instead, I’ll love it into positive change.

I deserve love now, where I am today, not just when I meet an ideal.

So, I say:

Thank you, feet. You have taken me on so many adventures! I love you. All is well.

Thank you, legs. You carry me where I need to go. I am thankful for being able to stand, walk, run, cycle, and dance. I love you both. All is well.

All is well.

As I write this love letter to my body, I invite you to do the same. Consider any areas of pain or tension as signals—reflective of your thoughts and emotions. The body is incredibly resilient, often creating pathways around pain just so we can function. But it’s time to release those pockets of tension and pain. Consider a deep tissue massage, or a session with a TENS machine, to help release what’s been held onto for far too long.

Remember, hurt people hurt people. But free people free people, and healed people heal people.

Let’s start with ourselves.

All is well. I am well.

And I love you, my body, just as you are.

Originally Published on https://akasha111blog.wordpress.com/

Paula Tozer Author

Paula D. Tozer is the author of three books - Saving Your Own Life: Learning to Live Like You Are Dying; An Elegant Mind's Handbook, and Enchanting Treve, a Novel. She is also an actor, singer/songwriter, Creativity Coach, competitive speaker, and leader with Toastmasters, as well as an avid cyclist, hiker, gym rat, and critter lover. The vast majority of her accomplishments have been achieved after the age of 50, demonstrating that It is never too late to be what you truly could have been...

Paula believes that living fiercely at any age is the way to optimize our time on this side of the grass. She has taken up the mission to inspire and motivate her contemporaries with what she has found that has allowed her to age with elegance, vitality, and most of all, good humor!