In our pursuit to feel better, consider these two things. Are you moving your body? What are you thinking about your body?
These two questions are closely related. How you answer them reveals why you may or may not have the energy and enthusiasm for life that you desire. If you are not moving your body and you are thinking negatively towards it, your health is suffering as a result.
For many, the primary reason for not moving the body is a lack of trust. Stemming from a fear associated with moving the body and rooted deeply in the subconscious is the belief they cannot trust themselves.
If you think you are about to experience something unpleasant, you are not likely to follow through with it. If you cannot trust your body to move without pain or you cannot trust yourself to move without injury, it seems logical that there would be a great deal of resistance to exercise.
As an exercise physiologist, I’ve experienced the frustration of not knowing how to overcome this resistance that so many have to moving their bodies. I’ve preached the glories of physical fitness and even with the knowledge of all the health benefits of exercise, there are those who remain “un-moved”. Which begs the question so many of us ask when confronted with someone else’s behavior that just doesn’t add up – “what are they thinking?”
Ta-da! That’s it! Thoughts elicit feelings and those feelings reside in the body. If your thoughts about your body are negative, moving your body only brings about negative, unpleasant feelings. Conversely, if you appreciate your body, you are more likely to take care of it.
Positive thoughts create positive feelings which leads to positive behaviors such as exercising. If you view your body positively, moving the body is no longer an activity to be avoided, but to be pursued. Moving the body is essential to your health and well-being and thinking positive thoughts about your body makes it easier to be physically active.
Many of the negative thoughts people have about their bodies is a direct result of their beliefs about size and weight. Those negative beliefs prevent them from enjoying optimal health and well-being. The purpose of A New BMI is to educate, enlighten and inspire change from the current attitudes and beliefs about body weight and health, and to move towards a greater awareness of how the mind influences the body.
A New BMI promotes health as it relates to the relationship between the body and the mind, not between height and weight, opening up the possibility that it is possible to achieve optimal health without focusing upon weight loss. A New BMI teaches that caring for the body requires the maintenance of a positive attitude and the ability to listen and pay attention to the needs of the body, cultivated through physical activity and the practice of mindfulness. I call this Body Mind Intelligence.
If you want to learn more, sign up for your first free lesson of my eight week program: A New BMI: Body Mind Intentions.
To Feel Better NOW – 1. Move your body. 2. Quiet your mind. It’s that simple.
