There's a fair amount of regret and guilt floating around – about not having cared for our bodies. I've let myself down or I haven't treated my body well.
And then there are illnesses, especially chronic ones. Cancer, auto-immune diseases, long Covid. Or hormonal imbalances that leave you feeling inflamed and uncomfortable. Moody, sad.
It’s easy to feel like your body is in some way your enemy – maybe even lets you down. We humans are complicated. It used to be easier during caveman times – the good old days! All we really had to think about was staying alive. Now, it’s so easy to get lost in this mire of frustration, disappointment, anger, guilt, and regret around our bodies.
I haven’t always been kind to my body. I would get angry with it, punish it with grueling workouts, starve it, give it the silent treatment. But those days are over. The most positive outcome of my joy work over the last few years has been how I feel about my body. I’m not sure it’s full on love, but, it’s definitely more than like. Maybe the best description of how I feel about my body is appreciation. I appreciate all that it can do. That I can move in all directions, lift weights, carry heavy things, all without pain.
More and more I see my body as my partner in crime. I’m not trying to manipulate it to look different or tame it into submission.
It’s good to me. It’s wise.
When I sit too long, it reminds me I need to move more. When I don’t give it the best food, it knows and tells me it needs more nutrition. It’s strong and soft. It feels good to hug. It sweats a ton in the summer – thank goodness for my own internal cooling mechanism. It tells me when something isn’t right. It miraculously created three children – just incredible!
It reminds me that I’m part of the natural world – that I have basic needs like heat, water, food – and that I can’t be too busy to overlook these needs. It has taught me about tolerance. Compassion. Acceptance.
My body is my friend.
So, I try to thank my body every day. When I wake up, I roll out my ankles while still in bed and say, "Thank you, body. Thank you for being there for me. For being my friend. My teammate. I love you."
I know it may sound silly but it feels really good. To not be at war. To appreciate that we are on the same team.
Twenty years ago Bruce Lipton, author of The Biology of Belief, proposed that the energy around your cells, the emotional soup that your cells bathe in, really matters - especially in terms of gene expression. Your genetic material is simply a code but what genes actually get expressed is largely affected by environment. There are many factors that influence the soup around your cells – but a big one is how you feel. Offering your body kindness, love (or like), and appreciation is going to change the content of that soup.
So, when you wake up or you're brushing your teeth, consider saying some kind words to your body like: Thank you for being there for me. I appreciate that you execute so many complex processes that I don't even know about. I'm proud of you. If it’s not too much for you, maybe even tell your body I love you.
Be gentle. Be kind. You are on the same team.🙏🏻
The skiers!
This photo was taken over the holidays in Vermont -- my husband, Andy, and my twins.
I spent the last couple winters learning how to ski so we could go to Austria as a Bar Mitzvah gift (the twins' request) last spring. I was so scared -- I have a massive fear of losing control and falling. And, yet, I kept going to the various mountains to practice so I could be ready to ski in Austria (which I did for half a day -- if you want to hear the whole story, check out this podcast episode!)
You'll see that I am not in the photo! I am not one to say never: it's very possible that I will ski again one day. And, there were some moments I enjoyed. But, in general, I was petrified about 99% of the time.
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I recently had an epiphany that this fear of falling probably came from a rollerskating accident when I was little.
This fear is not rational. It's embedded so deep in my subconscious -- my physiological reaction is pure Fight or Flight. My rational brain shuts off entirely.
And, yes, much of my work is changing how we think and see the world. And it's possible that, over time, I could change this fear thought pattern.
But, that's not where I'm going with this missive today.
I did not go skiing over the holidays. Because I am afraid. And here is my WIN: I don't feel bad.
I don't feel like I've let fear control me. I don't feel like a failure.
I am OK that I have this fear. And I am OK that I am not working to move past it. I am proud that I can see this choice to not put myself in that level of discomfort as the ultimate in self-care.
Because I have nothing to prove. And my peace and calm is my priority.🤍
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A program I LOVE: FellFoot Lifestyle Medicine with Dr. Kathryn Hall
"Lifestyle Medicine is a modern movement in healthcare focused on evidence based approaches to improving health and longevity."
~ Dr. Kathryn Hall
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I met Kathryn Hall at a birthday celebration for my very dear friend Charlotte. Charlotte had been telling me for a year, "Oh, you have to meet my friend Kathryn, you are going to love each other!" Well, Charlotte, you are rarely wrong, my friend.
Kathryn and I hit it off right away. I felt kind of rude as there were lots of wonderful people at the party and I only wanted to talk to her!
I've known a few practitioners offering Lifestyle Medicine but what sets Dr. Hall apart was her level of empathy and compassion: helping folks change long-embedded lifestyle habits can bring up a lot of guilt and shame. So, to work with a practitioner who will help educate and support but will also emphasize self-compassion is a big deal.
Dr. Hall started her career as an anesthesiologist. She wrote to me: "I loved caring for patients during, what was often, one of the most stressful days of a patient's life - undergoing surgery. It is such a privilege to be the person who reassures a patient as they drift off under anesthesia and to care for them during such a critical and vulnerable time. As surgeries and anesthetic medications have become safer, I was confident that I could safely care for my patients. That said, I was noticing that my patients were sicker - with more chronic conditions that made anesthesia much more dangerous. I found that, over time, I was less worried about the immediate risks of a neurosurgical procedure, but I was very concerned about my patients' sleep apnea, high blood pressure, or uncontrolled diabetes and the immediate risks these posed. While caring for patients, my mind kept wondering what was needed to reduce the burden of these chronic diseases."
She discovered Lifestyle Medicine and knew that this field had to be a part of her career. She now works with patients to adopt healthy lifestyle modifications to improve their longevity: "Most patients come to my office knowing that they should eat more vegetables and exercise more - what I provide is personalized recommendations targeted to their health conditions as well as an accountability plan to help make healthy changes stick. I act as a guide for my patients through the muddy, convoluted world of health and wellness."
If you are curious about Lifestyle Medicine or would like to reach out to Dr. Hall, check out her website below!
Is this the year for JOY SCHOOL??
I've written a fair amount about intentions versus resolutions over the last few weeks, in a few recent podcast episodes, and my last email to you!!
So, if you are working towards being kinder, gentler towards yourself this year. If you set an intention to be more present, calm, and connected. If you want simple tools that will help you practice living in JOY and appreciation, JOY SCHOOL is for you.
This world is soooo lucky to have you. Maybe it's time you felt that way too.🤍
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