Love Your Body?

Wednesday, October 17th was Love Your Body Day.  Did you know?  I did, thanks to a Facebook (and real life) friend Stephanie.  Seeing this got me thinking about myself, the studio, and the women who frequent our classes.  Do we love our bodies?  How do we show that?

I have struggled with self esteem issues for pretty much as long as I can remember.  I was one of the few "mixed" kids in school, so my hair didn't behave the same as my friends' which, at the time, left me feeling unattractive.  I was one of those "early developers" in middle school which, at the time, just left me feeling big.  I had issues with my knees and ankles which kept me from fully participating in sports and gym which, at the time, left me feeling galumphy and uncoordinated.  Not a pretty picture overall, huh?

I held on to all the yuck in my head and really let it get to me as I grew up.  Now, did any of that yuck keep me from finding a wonderful mate to share my life with?  Miraculously, no.  Did the yuck keep me from following a winding career path to where I've landed in my whodathunkit dream job?  No.  What the yuck has done is keep me from fully enjoying and trusting in myself and my accomplishments along the way.

Love Your Body...hmm.

I am pleased to say that, today, I have the best relationship with my body I've ever had.  I know that I'm strong, and fit, and I'm thankful for everything my body does for me on a daily basis.  It's not all sunshine and roses in my head, but I'm working on that.  I am also thrilled to see the positive body changes happening for the women at the studio.  Getting healthy and moving your body is, I think, the first step to a positive body relationship.  When women are coming to the studio looking forward to their 30 - 85 minute workouts I know good things are happening inside and out.

What I'm trying to promote at the studio isn't weight-loss though that often happens along the way, but health & wellness.  Love Your Body?  Yes, that's the goal.

How are YOU working towards Love Your Body status?  I'd love to hear (read) your thoughts!