Principle 8: Respect your body
Welcome to day 8 of the IE Principles & Practice series! Please continue to share & engage with others – together we continue to grow!
PRINCIPLE 8: RESPECT YOUR BODY
Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.
- Worthiness exists within you and within us all; we just need to take the time to learn how to see it. Your body deserves to be treated with dignity. Learning to appreciate diverse bodies, yourself included, takes time and intention.
THE PRACTICE
- To practice this principle, I invite you to explore what your life would look like without body negativity and objectification. What would the freedom from body worry feel like for you? What new changes could take place in your life?
- Think about what steps you can take to begin respecting your here-and-now body. I suggest getting rid of the scale and bagging up clothing that does not fit. You are not a number, and you deserve to wear comfortable clothing, including undergarments!
- We can all benefit from reflecting on the personal qualities that make us unique. What are some aspects that you particularly appreciate about yourself—that have nothing to do with weight, size, or shape? If you’re having a hard time with this one, think about how your best friend or a loved one would describe you! Even if you can’t see it right now, you are so worthy of love.
- One of my favorite practices to recommend is to curate your social media feed. Find accounts that spotlight different types of bodies, & unfollow accounts that make you feel uncomfortable or critical about your body.
- Who are some of your favorite body activists? Let’s give them a shout out in the comments!
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