Body Wise: Learning to Love Myself Again

by Laura
(Philadelphia)

Reader Post: It took me a long time to work out the importance of body love.

When I first found out my husband was cheating on me, I was a mess. I had shut down years prior in a mode of self-defense meant to prioritize only what served the purpose of survival. I had gained a lot of weight, my clothes were frumpy, and the majority of my relationships existed online. All I wanted to do was get through the day. I think I realized at some point during that horrific time that I had lost sight of myself and had become a person that I did not even recognize, let alone being body wise. I hated my body and I hated what my life had become. I needed to change.

One of the first steps in my process to become more body wise was to start exercising. Although this initially served the purpose of helping me to lose weight, I soon found that my daily walks were my favorite part of the day. I bought myself an iPod and loaded it with podcasts that focused on self-improvement and spirituality. I walked and walked and walked and at the end of 3 months, I had lost more than 35 pounds. Not only did my body now have shape and tone, my mind was clearer and I had a new lease on life. I realized that I was going to be okay, no matter what happened with my marriage.

Through this process, I learned the importance of being body wise; that it was necessary for me to pamper myself in ways that produced a positive result. When I felt good about what I was doing for myself, I felt better about myself. I learned that I had to feed my soul and awaken my spirit in an effort to live life with a passion. In short, I found a way to love myself again.