Willow Intimacy

At its core, body positivity is feeling positively about your body. That’s it, and yet it is a radical act. As a culture, we have fallen in love with hating our bodies. Millions of people, especially women, have had the experience of sitting with a group of their peers listing the endless reasons why their body isn’t good enough – how exhausting! Our bodies do so much for us every single day, and yet we are quick to point out the “flaws” we see and focus on that. So, how can you go about changing your mindset and focusing on how wonderful your body is?

Here are some tips to help guide you there:

1. I have found it immensely helpful to list out things you like about your body.  It doesn’t need to be for a specific reason, it doesn’t even mean you like your body all the time. Just list a few things everyday that are positive.
2. Follow people who look like you on social media. Seeing photoshopped models alters our opinions on how a human body looks. Exposure to bodies that are realistic can change how you view your own body. Depending on where you are in your journey, you may consider a social media detox as a brief hiatus to help ground yourself.
3. When you have negative thoughts about your body, don’t beat yourself up over it. Acknowledge that not all your thoughts are true, and then think of two or three things you are thankful for regarding your body. 
4. Practice being intentional about the thoughts and feelings you experience around your body. This takes time, but it will change your thought patterns and reduce shame cycles. 
5. Perform self care tasks that directly impact how you feel in your own skin. Take a hot bath to release tension, moisturize to keep your skin healthy, put on your favorite outfit, etc. 

In a body-focused session, we will go through exactly what you are struggling with and work on reframing the way you view your body. This powerful work can change your relationship with your body for the better.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, remember that the journey toward loving yourself and your body starts with just one step. Don’t have the mindset that you have to wake up tomorrow loving every inch of yourself – that isn’t realistic. Do your best everyday and show yourself grace if it takes longer than you thought it would. You aren’t alone in figuring this out, there are resources to help. You can schedule a body-focused session with me or visit sites like thebodypositive.org to learn more ways to learn to love your body.