embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and quiet that critical voice!)

Through this process, our negative voices—our fear—eventually quieted, allowing us to make conscious attitudinal and behavioral shifts that brought back our joy.

Before you begin this practice, discuss how there are no right or wrong choices, no “bad” or “good” decisions. You will want to agree to suspend judgment about yourself and others, as well as any conversation about the “best” way to eat.

I invite you to explore the ideas and practices in this chapter to find the tools that work best to help you to step towards self-love and away from self-criticism, even when those around you choose to partake in this fruitless ritual. Remember that loving yourself takes practice—and courage. The more you use your gentle, compassionate voice, the f

The Body Positive is an alternative community where the pursuit of self-love over self-criticism is the norm. For many, this truly is a radical idea.

Your body does not have to be the cause of your suffering. You might try thinking of it as the amazing vehicle that allows you to move through this world, or a vessel to be filled with life’s rich experiences. Each and every one of us has unique gifts to offer, which are meant to be shared. When we stop blaming our bodies for our struggles, we have

It is not always easy to resist the voice that tells us we’re flawed. Don’t forget that advertisers give us just this message so we will spend our money attempting to fix ourselves. There is a reason the diet industry generates about sixty billion dollars per year!

Staying with self-love keeps you from withdrawing your love from your partner. You don’t need to prove they are wrong in order to feel good about yourself.

“conceit” and “regard for one’s own happiness or advantage,” which says a lot about why people have a hard time believing it is a worthy pursuit.

“Since a person’s actions derive from her unique observations and reflections, she can always choose. Though her reactions are conditioned by previous experience, present circumstances bring ever-new perceptions and opportunities.”