How to love your body by writing yourself a heartwarming love letter
HEIDI’S JOURNAL ENTRY | 016
HOW TO LOVE your BODY by WRITING yourself a HEARTWARMING love letter
Have you ever received a love letter? Try to remember how it made you feel. I’m guessing it was a moment of bliss, joy, thankfulness, excitement and no doubt a range of other positive emotions.
If you haven’t received one (or even if you have), you don’t need to wait for someone else to gift you one… you can write a love letter to yourself!
This might seem pointless, but in many ways it can offer an even more meaningful experience. If you’re into personal development, you might have done this before, or another letter-writing engagement like writing a letter to your inner child. Giving ourselves the words we really need to hear is a powerful tool for healing and self-love.
For many of us, the relationship we have with ourselves can at times become neglected as we tend to prioritise other people’s needs and their demands on us.
When we finally dedicate time to our own well-being, often the relationship we have with our body is one that we bring the least tender, love, and care. I think it’s time to change that.
In this post, I’m going to guide you through the process of writing a love letter to your body
Why? Our body is the temple of our soul, and yet it’s common in our busy lifestyles to ignore its needs and downplay its power. Without it, we could not engage in the physical and emotional world around us. We would not be able to touch, taste, hear, see and smell. We wouldn’t be able to experience the miracle that life is through love, work, connection and relationships.
Let’s give our body the credit and love it deserves for carrying us through our life from birth to death.
Before You Get Started
Grab a pen and paper, some tissues, your favourite tea, light a candle or do anything else that will make you feel comfortable.
AND
Centre and ground yourself with a couple of deep breaths. Move your body and stretch out anything if you need to. Allow yourself to release any tension or thoughts so you can be present with your body.
How to write your letter
When you’re ready, grab a pen and some paper or a journal, and begin writing a letter to your body. Tell your body everything you think it needs to hear. Allow any thoughts or emotions to come up and write them in your letter. You can also work through the following writing prompts if you prefer some structure:
01.
What might you want to apologise for? What are you sorry for?
02.
Think of any physically challenging events in your life and thank your body for supporting you through them.
For example, this event might have been an operation you’ve had recently or in the distant past, a marathon you participated in, or a stressful period where you didn’t get much sleep.
03.
If your body had to endure and recover from harm, hug and love it even more.
If you harmed your body, explain why you did it and apologise. Ask for forgiveness.
04.
Now is the time to say THANK YOU. If your body could hear you - which, by the way, it can - what would you say? For instance, thank your body for always trying to get you back to balance and health, despite the many moments where you might not have given it what it needs.
05.
Look with curiosity at your body in front of the mirror as if you are seeing yourself for the first time. Is your body happy, healthy, energised and groomed how you like it?
Has it been deprived of attention and neglected or is it exhausted and depleted?
06.
List all the parts of your body you love, and then send love to them.
Give yourself a hug and commit to creating a supportive, caring relationship with your own body. E.g. Describe your beautiful eyes and take some time to look at them and admire their color, shape, etc.
07.
Describe and be grateful for the sensations you are able to experience and enjoy through your body.
Be specific about what senses you love; e.g., maybe you are fascinated by the feeling of raindrops falling on your hands or sunshine kissing your skin.
08.
How would you describe the relationship you have with your body?
Write down any self-deprecating words or phrases you often say about your body. Now apologise and promise to talk better to it and look after it with more love and attention.
09.
Write down other promises you want to make to your body, such as drinking more water, sleeping properly, and being kinder to yourself when you look into the mirror.
ALTHOUGH EMOTIONS ARE LIKELY TO COME UP,
Allow yourself to feel what you feel and even have fun when writing your letter.
At first, it may feel a bit awkward, as we are not used to thinking and feeling in this way towards our body. Take as much time as you need. After you have put down some thoughts, you may want to revisit your pages a few days later and add further lines. Remember that this is a love letter. Don’t use it to criticise yourself, nor use it as a platform to lash out at your body. If you come to a point during the writing where you get angry or negative, stop the exercise and breathe deeply; go for a walk or mediate. Come back to it when you can reconnect in a loving, self-caring way.
THIS LETTER BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE AND MIGHT RESONATE WITH MANY READERS.
YOUR LETTER IS PROBABLY MORE SPECIFIC TO YOU WITH REFERENCES TO YOUR LIFE’S HISTORY, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GUIDE OF SORTS TO START YOUR OWN LETTER.
Dear Body,
It‘s been a long time since we have had a proper conversation. Better late than never, I guess. Let me start this letter by saying I AM SORRY. Sorry for the stress I have put you under, physically, emotionally, mentally and possibly also spiritually. I neglected you for many years. I ignored the subtle signs you sent me and was angry at you when your cries for help became too loud to ignore them.
I treated you as my possession, as an instrument that has to function whenever I want it to work. It’s a new realisation to me that you have a life on your own, that you belong to nature, that you have a specific biological rhythm, that there is wisdom in you that you are willing to share with those who speak your language. It sounds like a lame excuse when I say: ‘I didn’t know better’ but it’s the truth. I was busy following general advice, building up a life according to ‘the rules’, chasing other people’s dreams, totally focused on the outside, addicted to illusions in the desperate hope to find happiness.
If I had known that there is an entire Universe inside myself, I would have said hello to you earlier. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I am here now. Ready to build up a loving, caring, supportive, truthful relationship with you. THANK YOU for having been so patient with me, for sticking it out, for not having given up on me, and for still being around. Thank you for being such a magical masterpiece. I love that I can feel so many different sensations through you. With and through you, I can see the beauty of nature; read wise words and touching poems; hear music that cuts right through to my soul; smell roses; touch my beloved and experience being caressed; and taste delicious food and drinks. You allow me to experience the abundance that life has to offer. I LOVE YOU.
I love your smooth skin, your beautiful eyes, your elegant walk, your graceful gestures. I love feeling your strength and flexibility as I exercise. I love the sensation of calm and peace which I experience in my heart when I meditate or truly connect to others. I am full of gratitude for you.
I PROMISE you to building up a relationship with you; to check in daily with you to see how you are; to listen to your desires; and to give you what you need.
I am fully aware that a genuine relationship is not about give and take. But now, as we start to get to know each other, let’s openly share what we need. One day, we might be best friends and blindly trust each other. I am very excited about having a friend in you. I love you. Speak to you soon.
Yours,
...
Was that easy for you?
Which parts did you struggle with most? I’d love to hear whether you got any new insights as you were writing along.
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