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Article Title: The Key to a Successful Diet: Live the Body You Want to Have
Right Now
Author: Anna Stookey, MA, MFT, CHt.
Category: Weight Loss, Women's Issues, Coaching
Word Count: 501
Keywords: diet, weight loss, bodymind, health, wellness, success, vision, ideal
Author's Email Address: [email protected]
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
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So many of us live in the dream of what will happen for us when our bodies
look, feel or do exactly as we want them to. 'When I lose ten pounds, then I'll
love my body.' Or 'When I get through this injury then I'll feel good about
being in my body again.' The truth is that there really is no time like the
present. We can't get to loving our bodies by hating them until they perform a
certain way. We have to start with the loving part now. That old expression
'you can't get there from here' really is true.
Try an exercise I do with clients in my groups. Close your eyes and
picture your ideal body, whatever that means for you: lighter, free of injury
or diagnosis, vibrant, healthy. Get a really clear picture, feeling all of the
feelings and sensations there. Look around you, feel your breath moving in and
out. Then notice not just the outside, but the inside: what are you feeling
about your body in this picture? If you could turn up the volume on your
thoughts about your body, what are you saying to it? Also, think about how you
would describe the way you feel in this picture. What kinds of qualities are
present? Write down five words that describe how you feel and the kinds of
qualities or aspects of life this picture gives you. Some examples might be
free, alive, sexy, uninhibited, joyous, calm.
Then slowly come out of the visualization. Ask yourself : with or
without the outside changing, how could I bring more of those qualities into my
life now? Imagine the qualities you wrote down as if they were in you right
now, in the present moment. What are some choices you would make from those
places that you're not making now? What would happen if you lived a day from
those qualities?
When we're not feeling good in our bodies, we can still use the vision
of how we think we want to be on the outside to connect us to what's really
missing on the inside. As you find ways to feed those qualities back to your
soul, your body relationship automatically begins to shift as well. Use the
list of qualities you came up with to make a list of activities that best
connect you to those qualities. Be creative. There is no right answer, just
what's true for you. One woman in a weight loss group found that 'reading a
book' connected her to the quality of 'peace' she was seeking; for others that
might be a walk in the forest, a nap or a phone call with a friend.
Once you have your list, make a commitment to do atleast 2-3 of these
activities a week as a way of honoring your ability to live into the body you
want from the inside out. Stop waiting for the 'someday' to live the qualities
you and your body most celebrate and enjoy.
Anna Stookey is a psychotherapist & bodymind coach who helps people move into
their highest vision of health and wellness by partnering with their bodies
rather than working against them. Ongoing blog at
http://www.bodyreunion.blogspot.com or sign on to the website:
http://www.bodymindguide.com
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