LOVING YOUR BODY IS TOO HARD

LOVING YOUR BODY IS TOO HARD

I tried
I really tried hard

Every day I would stand in front of the mirror
And affirm

I love my body
I love my shape 
I love myself

I channeled my inner Louise Hay
I wanted to be that person who loved herself
Loved her curves
Even loved her thighs

It didn’t help

I still heard that mean-mirror voice 
Laughing
Mocking
Cutting at me in her disbelief of my body-love

Loving your body is too hard 

It was too hard for me
Too big a leap

Too far to go from being indoctrinated
by diet-culture
by an industry making money from my shame

Body-love was only for the thin

If I was anything but thin, 

Body-love was settling
Body-love was giving up

So I gave up on body-love

I settled on a body-relationship

A real relationship
Full of hate
And anger
So much grief

A relationship
Riddled with annoyance
Impatience
And snarky-ness

And the longer I hung out in this
real relationship

I found something started to shift

New experiences started to emerge

True appreciation
Actual body-peace
Moments of ease

And then there it was
Like a gem glistening amidst a mountain of rocks

Some love 
For myself
Some actual body love

In the midst of the mess of relationship
The reality of everyday feelings

There she was sparkling:
Appreciation
Compassion
Caring
Support 
For myself

Body-love 

Body-love is too hard
It’s too big a stretch

Let’s start with being in a real, messy relationship 

Start there and see what gets uncovered

~Nina Manolson

 

For more of my poetic essays: https://ninamanolson.com/food-for-thought/

Nina Manolson, M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Psychology of Eating Coach, Body-Trust® Guide.

If you’d like help with navigating an authentic and respectful relationship with your body. Let’s talk.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nina Manolson, MA, NBC-HWC, board certified Health Coach, Psychology of Eating Coach and Certified Body-Trust Provider, believes that every woman deserves to feel good in her own body.

She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life! She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and The Nourished Woman Nation.

She helps busy women feel good in their own body.. She specializes in working with women over 40 who have tried other diets and approaches but are still struggling with their body and food.

She’s the creator of the BODY-LOVE MAP and the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

To get your F.R.E.E. ebook: HOW TO BE A WOMAN AT EASE IN YOUR BODY  click here.