Day 104/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
Have you noticed the patterns in the shifting form of the weight of your body?
When you've lived in this body for long enough, you begin to notice the patterns that emerge as you navigate through life's up as and downs.
We are definitely on a "down" right now as we all are instructed to hibernate. Some of us are lucky enough that we are coming into our winter months and staying at home cosy and warm is tolerable. My heart goes out to those in the northern hemisphere who will be cooped up during their summer.
Your body is going to get bigger. That is what most of us will experience as we reach for comfort food to satiate our fear and concerns.
Others will experience the reverse, as worry and anxiety take their toll and reduce body mass through the sheer force of stress hormones and related chemicals.
Become acquainted with your inner vision of your idea weight
What do you look like as you look inwards and ask to visualise your ideal and most comfortable weight.
Then honour your body's hunger. Don't fight it. Meet it with the most nutritious food you can afford, and fresh water and juices if possible.
Our weight will fluctuate in direct proportion to the machinations of our mind. There's very little point in fighting that.
Adipose tissue, that's what fat tissue is called, has a purpose, and that purpose is by and large, protection. So when you're in fear or anxious your body is going to do all it can to protect you. Just as you try to keep yourself safe and informed of what will support you, your body is responding the only way it knows how.
Over the decades my body weight has fluctuated by 20 kg. To be perfectly honest, I never worried too much about it until it was clear that I was wholly overweight. Then I'd notice that my clothes size had crept up and I'd start to look at my life, how I was living and what was worrying me that I was clearly growing my protective coat.
That awareness was usually enough to begin to experience the weight dropping off. Bathroom scales have never been an accessory I've cared for.
I've always secretly admired those gorgeous, curvy women in Renaissance paintings. Fads about our perfect weight come and go through history. There's no keeping up so make your own history.
My exercise regime has been sporadic to say the least. At present it works well for me to take a long walk every other day. Whilst I am a home body, this torturous home arrest is challenging me and I need to get out into nature to calm my system down.
That with trying to keep up with greens in my diet, is where I'm focussing at present. I've never been a great fan of greens for reasons unbeknown to me, and yes, I do know they are supposed to be good for my health.
Let the anxieties about your body and body weight slide out of your mind. Become truly acquainted with those stories as you have time to reflect inwards during this time of isolation, then review, revise, and release.
Care for your body as well as you know how, and enjoy the process. Staying present to it and how it feels will provide insights into your authentic self.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.