What does your body need?
“Today I Asked My Body What She Needed”
- By Hollie Holden
Today I asked my body what she needed,
Which is a big deal
Considering my journey of
Not Really Asking That Much.
I thought she might need more water.
Or protein.
Or greens.
Or yoga.
Or supplements.
Or movement.
But as I stood in the shower
Reflecting on her stretch marks
Her roundness where I would like flatness,
Her softness where I would like firmness,
All those conditioned wishes
That form a bundle of
Never-Quite-Right-Ness,
She whispered very gently:
Could you just love me like this?
On my hunt for poems on Self-Love and Appreciation, I found the above. I found it quite beautiful. And mindful.
Apart from being beautiful, the poem captures quite a few of the foundations of mindfulness:
non-judging awareness - or simply noticing what is
acceptance - the loving embrace of reality
letting go of striving for some idealized flatness or firmness.
When we meet our bodies with curiosity rather than critique, a kinder connection blooms. We may start to invest in self-love, instead of paying the price for wishing something was different that simply won't change this very moment.
Studies show that when we learn to accept ourselves as we are, we quiet the amygdala's fear-driven reactivity and activate the prefrontal cortex for calmer, wiser decisions. This shift—from survival mode's short-term willpower fixes - to long-term investments into our health and vitality, creates the foundation for healthy habits.
My mindful invitation to you this week:
Flip the poem: Love and accept yourself the way you are - then ask your body what she (or he) needs
This is your time!
With love for myself, the way I am
Yours
Mel
Resources and Inspiration: