My body never looked right!
Not to my eyes at least.
When I was a teenager, I was happy with my skinny, athletic body but getting annoyed by my rib cage sticking out! Then came the many years of +/- 5 kilos weight change on a seasonal level.
This may not be a big figure compared to friends who are struggling with serious issues around weight management but enough to make the deduction about a life-time of body-image issues. It is all in my mind!
Well yes, I do look bigger sometimes and more fit at others but the obsession around it is pretty much in the mind and this is not necessarily making things easier.
Having worked with many women during the Feminine Way retreats or personal consultations I got to witness that the way we look and our own body image are not always positively correlated!
Good to be aware of the aspects that are influencing our physical shape; such as lifestyle changes, hormonal shifts and such; however, in my experience my body follows my mind. The more alive, creative, curious my mind the more light, active and fit my body.
The concept of agni, digestive fire in Ayurveda, brings it all together. When we have low agni in our mind we may have difficulty in digesting life experiences. When we have low agni in our body then we have difficulty in digestion on a mechanical level; such as gas, bloating, constipation, slow metabolism. They are somehow interlinked.
When I think of a yoga program for weight-loss, constipation, IBS which will also help restoring the gut flora, I immediately work on increasing agni; our inner fire in a harmonious way.
In my personal experience my body is most balanced, healthy and well-shaped when I do these 3 things:
Regular practice which is not forceful
Intensive work out that one cannot sustain and integrate into daily life may produce short term results of toning but the moment you let go of that intensity all the muscle accumulated may turn into extra load. It is proven by science (and my humble personal experience) that regular practice of a nice mix of movement, strength building and relaxation that I keep as an integral part of life works like a charm. I would like to share a wonderful mini yoga program on healthy digestion with you on my Yoga Therapy Pill Platform to give you some idea and inspiration.
Attitude of not postponing
If your house needs cleaning, do it now. If your friend is calling, make the effort and meet up now. If you always wanted to paint, start sketching now. This attitude of presence and openness to life helps with staying active in a healthy way in body and mind. Otherwise we just create more load for our mind in the flavour of frustration due to procrastination or feeling overwhelmed. Even resting is not always just lying down but mostly doing things that you enjoy at your own pace.
Take time in nature
It is the best way to collect and process prana; our life force which is crucial for our well-being. When prana is stagnated, it affects all other systems in our being; our agni included. A simple walk in nature helps balance agni and therefore your metabolism and hormonal system.
En Vogue got it right at many levels. Free your mind…😉
