from Peaceful Living
by Mary Mackenzie

Day 48: Body Image

Do you look at yourself in the mirror and think, “Ugh. How did this happen?” Do you catch yourself being hyper-vigilant about the parts of your body you wish looked different? If we have a poor self-image, we usually have a great need for acceptance and belonging, and we tell ourselves that it is unlikely we will meet these needs if we look the way we do. Our strategy is to change our physical appearance.

Like Sark, I embrace radical self-acceptance. Every morning while you’re lathering yourself in the shower, caress every part of your body and say aloud all of the reasons you appreciate it. In Toltec cultures, this is called a Puja. It is a sacred act of honoring your body. If you say it aloud, it will begin to shift the way your brain sees your body.

Remember, the brain believes what we tell it and helps us find ways to prove what we believe. It wants to create truth. If we teach our brain that we don’t like our looks, it will help us make that true. When we change the way we look at ourselves, we change our truth and we can meet our needs for acceptance and belonging.

Try this and see if you experience a shift. For me, this is a powerful morning routine, as important as my meditations.

Try honoring your body with a Puja every morning for the next two weeks.

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