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

It is more than the name of a nonprofit organization; it is a state of mind and a growing cultural movement that offers people the opportunity to put down the burdens of judgment, comparison, and shame in order to cultivate a relationship with themselves that is built on a foundation of self-love and trust.

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

If you spend copious amounts of energy attempting to diminish your body, or if your imagination is limited such that you cannot see beauty in yourself, then you become disconnected from the world around you.

Over time you relax into the trial and error process of learning to eat and move—and live—intuitively.

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

Delight in all the things your body can do and take pleasure in using it, whenever possible. Use pain and discomfort as signals that adjustments may be needed, and take action to make the changes that are within your power. Thank your body when it is working well, and give it love and forgiveness when it is not.

Steven Blair, a professor of exercise science, epidemiology, and biostatistics at the University of South

One obstacle that prevents people from trusting their intuition is the thought of being responsible for figuring out what their bodies need. In many ways, this feels harder than having an external “expert” voice tell them what to eat and how to move. But playing with the word “responsibility” makes it much less intimidating: response ability simply

•Without judgment, think about why you chose the food on your plate. What went into your decision-making process? Do you like your decisions? Did you forget something? Is there a food on your plate that you now don’t want to eat? Take time to get it right—remove what you don’t want and go back for anything you do. •Now, look over your plate and cho