On Instagram Mirna Valerio asked,
"Tell me how you came to love your body. Tell me how you love what your body has been and is able to do? Tell me how your body amazes you every day. Tell me how your body has defied expectations (both your own, and others). Tell me how you encourage others to love their bodies. I want to know your story of body love and honor. If you don't have a body love story yet, that's okay. Take the opportunity to read others' stories and be inspired, motivated and encouraged. Look at your own life and make a plan for how you will try to love yourself a little more each day." Mirna
I love this.
Isn't that an interesting story, "How I came to love my body."
The more popular story is why I don't love my body.
How I came to love my body, was when I was 46 years old. By then a mother of 4 children, overweight and fairly inactive.
It wasn't that my body suddenly deserved love, but rather I was made aware of how it carried my truth.
I loved and honored my body, not for its size or shape, but rather for its wisdom.
I became aware of the soft body within the body.
The world of feelings and unexpressed emotions.
The awakening to my innocence filled me with worth.
It was the polar opposite of how I had viewed myself prior.
I loved my wounded little girl and her wise body.
She came before the good opinion of others.
Before their needs and what would please them.
This wounded messed up girl unraveled herself using her body as her guide.
I loved the wisdom stored within my body.
I am not certain, who I loved first, the neglected little girl or the wise body.
It appeared as one.
What I want most for others to know, is that they are worthy and that their truth is priceless and that their bodies are wise with truth.
For years I worked on re-working a new pattern of living for me.
And, slowly began adding activities that I now love.
I love what my body does for me.
It is beyond what my heart can hold.
They are all seemingly small things; but are life altering.
Just the feelings of Me loving Me is life changing.
Imagine a life where your very starting point in all things, is love.
It makes all of life infused with love, peace and joy.
I know that with this self love comes the courage to be disliked, as a title of a book states.
The courage to be my self always.
I simply can't imagine living any other way.
I am the common denominator in all of my relationships, and how I feel about me IS what I bring to each of them.
I love my mind for what it has gone through and its ability to rewire and re-string new meanings of life. I love its ability to change its beliefs.
I love my body for all the incredible things it allows me to enjoy. A million sensations in a day.
I love the story of how I came to love my body.
I came to love it first through feelings of sorrow, grief, and pain beyond what my mind could hold.
I felt the darkest and learned that the depth of sorrow would also be the depth of joy.
I honor my body by living the truth of what is.
I don't see my body as a size or a shape.
I see it as an incredible complex and vital part that holds love.
It is the vehicle that allows me to experience life.
The vast wonders and levels of living.
The million ways to love.
My granddaughter and I began stating what we loved most about our day before going to bed.
Last night, she misspoke and called it our gorgeous things.
"Grandma, what was the most gorgeous thing today?"
She's almost 4 and its about Mommy, kitties and me.
I love that we lay and reflect before falling asleep about our gorgeous things.
How I came to love my body is the most gorgeous thing of all.
