You and I know all about the struggles that center around food and weight and hating the body…
The ENERGY that goes into it all and what it robs and deprives you of…from living with ease and comfort and having a place that feels like home to settle into in each and every moment.
This is the official week to bring more consciousness to shifting awareness about all of that, when we get to join a sisterhood across the miles to step into something more beautiful, to end the emotional and physical and spiritual hunger and deprivation.
Are you in?
Is there really anything to think about? What would even make you hesitate? Think about it for a second. You already know what your eating disorder- whatever your particular battle looks like, and make no mistake, it is a full-out battle, with your beautiful body and mind, the bloody battlefield.
Just for a moment, pull back and let the image of that sink it.
You were born innocent, beautiful, and that is the essence of who you remain. Somehow you’ve slapped on all sorts of other beliefs onto your magnificent already-perfect canvas.... you know the kind I’m talking about, the beliefs that say “not good enough” “too fat” “too out of control”, not this enough, not that enough, too much of this, and too needy and too angry or with too many feelings and fill in your own blanks because it’s all just noisy chatter in your mind. Garbage you’ve collected along the way from other people, our crazy culture, people who had their own self-hate to deal with that slung some of it at you and it stuck… whatever.
And it all got turned into this bloody all-consuming (!) battle that caused you to disconnect from who you are and forget all of the beautiful pieces that are still there waiting for you to breathe life back into them.
There is a lot going on, and it’s hard to dissolve all of this in one week. But..bringing consciousness and shining a little bit of light on it all is a beginning and that’s all you need.
So for this week, here are a few things you can do:
Notice all of the urges you have to change your body– whether it’s wanting to diet or eat differently, or workout to change how you feel about your body. Eating well and working out are not “bad”in and of themselves, but when the intention and action comes from a place of self-hatred, start to notice.
Count something different- instead of tracking food or obsessing about carbs and such, try making some lists of every loving thing you did for yourself in a given day. Tiny moments of pleasure and beautiful self-care are what I want you to focus on and highlight here. For example- sat by the fire and enjoyed tea instead of going online first thing. Put moisturizer on hands before bed. Used favorite placemat and dishes for myself at breakfast. Got it? This isn’t about going to the spa but about filling yourself up with lots of love and nourishment, and keeping track on a list seems to reinforce it. **NOTE- I invite you to post your lists here in the comment section. Knowing somebody is supporting you can feel good!
Practice Expressing Yourself- There is a BIG connection between unspoken feelings and using food to self-soothe. If you can, practice small ways of … and I really do mean start with small…of letting yourself speak up. It might just be expressing a preference about what movie to see. I’m not talking about starting with big confrontations. The other very helpful way to address unspoken emotions and energy that really need to “have their say” is with a journal. I always tell my clients that the people in my practice that get the best results use a journal to “purge” what needs to be said and expressed.
Don’t Deprive Yourself of Support-There is a LOT of help available. In my experience, women with eating and body related issues are talented magnificent sensitive women that have taken on a LOT of responsibility for other people and have become disconnected from who they are and what they want. Sorting this out and finding the courage to break these patterns in relationships while sorting out the food/body piece is best done with lots of support and the right information and guidance because this is not a food issue!
I truly hope that this week you fill yourself up with information and support and some new ways of bringing love and reliable self-care back into your life. I would love to help so please feel free to contact me via email or my phone (978 772-0009).
With love from my heart to yours-
Lisa Claudia Briggs
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