Body positivity is more than just loving your body for the way it looks and being grateful for all that it does for you. Body positivity is an act of being grounded in your right to look, feel, and act in accordance with your value system.
If you are having a daily struggle with body checking, restricting food because you want to lose the hips, the legs, the booty…
Are you struggling with keeping your mindset aligned with your value system?
As a fellow traveler and an eating disorder specialist, I want you to know there are days I do too! You are not alone. We live in a thin-obsessed culture.
Here are some signs of poor body image:
- You look at your body in the mirror several times a day
- You avoid mirrors because you don’t like what you see
- You avoid social situations due to how you feel about your body because “you have to lose the weight first.”
- You have perceived flaws that you spend a lot of time trying to cover and/or change
- You wear clothes that are too tight in order to be a certain size
- You have periods of yo-yo dieting to get to a particular weight that you deem is the number will finally allow you to be happy
- You compare your body to others
- You engage in negative self-talk about your body throughout the day
- You have a dependent relationship with the scale; if it were taken away the anxiety would be overwhelming…maybe even to the point of not eating to control weight gain
There is a lot of support and increasing awareness surrounding positive body image practices. There are blogs and social media post and pins, support groups, coaches and counselors galore! On a spiritual level, there is prayer, invocations, rituals and declarations to help you dispense of old beliefs that you have to struggle alone.
Creating a daily practice with the aim of debunking old beliefs, which you took on as your truth, and getting clarity on what you chose to believe can be pretty magical and fun if you allow it to be.
Morning Body Positivity Magic Tip:
Before you ever put your feet on the floor in the morning, check your thinking and align to a positive, bring-forth-what-I-want, style of thinking; manifest and co-author the essence of who you want to be for the day.
Amp up your confidence and essence by affirming each day with this daily practice~~
Declare aloud:
Morning practices, as the one above, are so powerful because you are making an agreement with yourself to keep your energy close.
You declare to be in alignment with your power.
When you slip out of alignment with what you declare; repeat it and continue to repeat your declaration until you feel it.
You are truly able to create a magical force field around your energy through the thoughts that you chose to not only think but, particularly powerful magic is through the words you chose to declare.
Body positivity is about knowing who you are on the inside so your outside aura, that everyone else feels, is radiant and confident.
There are days that you easily embrace all parts of your essence, your talents, your shadow side, finding that passion and purpose, and stepping out of the little you into the FULL, BIG, BOLD, COURAGEOUS YOU!
And, days that you just don’t.
That’s ok, rebelling against the social construct of one size fits all is really about a blossoming of your own inner declaration to live in your power and claim your inherent value. It isn’t easy to show up for yourself each moment of each day with that kind of boldness.
I invite you to go within, meet yourself with love and compassion and declare how you chose to value yourself and the body that graciously inhabits your spirit.
Be in the feeling reality of your body. Click here to listen to Dr. Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” Poem.
Begin each morning with the simple practice of declaring you are a phenomenal woman and align to the declaration provided or find your own words.
Throughout the day use your voice and see how much more positive you feel on the inside.
The world will reflect back to you the recognition and reflection of your inner practice.
** Pinky Promise**
Lorri Lancashire is the founder of High Vibe Soul, LLC. a coaching program for women that struggle with recovery from food-related issues and negative body image. Lorri works as a mindset coach and is also a Masters clinician as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. She has a private practice working with individuals and couples. Lorri is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist through IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals). She has trained with Pia Mellody, the Beck Institute, and Terrance Real and is completing her training as an RLT therapist.
Click here to download Lorri’s free “I Am Solution” and begin to recover your joy!