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In a culture of stick-thin models, our young adolescents are embarking on a dangerous path of dieting, bingeing, and purging. The Statistics: 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be thinner. 81% of ...
Do you love your body? No really - do you? If you're a female, chances are you don't. Studies show that 80 to 90% of adult women dislike their bodies. In fact, many of them truly hate their own bodies. Women as young as five years old and as old as 95, of varying ethnicities, shapes and sizes, ...
If you are like most people, you think you are doing life. If you are like most people, you live by your to-do list. You get up early—maybe you work out. You go to work, take care of the kids, eat food, deal with your boss, figure out how to sell your house... For many, life itself is one big TO-DO. In reality, however, life is much more about being and less about doing. The exquisite blessings of life are not delivered based on how much you do. No, life’s greatest treasures, life’s pleasures, life’s bliss, life’s ecstasy, are based on being.
Life is meant to be a love affair, an actual love affair. Life, as it truly is, is, in fact, a love affair. Now you can choose whether or not to experience life as such, whether or not to join in the dance. But no matter what, life itself always remains a true love affair, an intimate dance in each and every moment. Every desire for love, every desire to love, is simply the longing within you to experience the reality of life, the truth of what you are.
Part I: Excerpts from an interview with Sarah Maria on her new book "Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently." Question: I’ve heard many people say that disliking your body is just a normal part of being a woman [or a man in today’s culture]. What do you think about such a statement? This is a very important question that I address specifically in Love Your Body, Love Your Life. Yes, many people, probably most people, say that disliking your body is a normal part of being a woman.
Is your daughter's weight the result of her social network? A recent study authored by Adina Lemeshow claims that feeling unpopular can actually lead to weight gain in girls 12 to 18 years old. The study showed that girls who perceived themselves as "unpopular" were 69 percent more likely to ...
One of the defining themes of my adult life has been this something that I refer to as Love. When the universe forced me into personal crisis a few years ago, it slowly became apparent that a key issue was love. Ever since then, my life has become, in one form or another, a meditation on love: What is love? How do I love myself? Why does my heart feel broken? Will I ever feel loved? How do I love and be loved? Does love exist? Is it just an idea, or is it something real?
Have you ever hid under the bed covers, not wanting your love to see you? Or have you cringed at the thought of seeing yourself in the bathroom mirror? Were you competitive with your siblings or your parents about the size of your body? Has anyone you love, has anyone close to you, been judgmental about your body? Are you, or have you ever been, in a relationship where your love didn’t like your body? The fact of the matter is that our bodies and how we feel about our bodies and ourselves can dramatically impact our relationships, either for good or for bad.
How Our Thoughts Influence Our Health Have you ever ruminated endlessly about a decision and felt a pain in your stomach? Do you notice yourself having critical thoughts and feel tightness in your chest? Have you been happy, excited, thinking positive thoughts and felt your whole body ...
How many times have you waited for something to change so that you could finally start feeling beautiful? If you are like most women, the answer is “all the time.” Here is the problem: Most of us tend to live with the delusional belief that we somehow need to change in order to be beautiful.
5 signs that you need to make peace with your body So you are not anorexic, and you are not bulimic, and you don’t binge eat most of the time, but do you love your body? According to the latest statistics, the answer is probably “no”. And if you don’t love your body, ...
Part II: Excerpts from an interview with Sarah Maria, Body Image Expert and Author of ”Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently.” Question: In your book Love Your Body, Love Your Life, you present the five steps for ending NBO. Can you talk about these steps? The first step is to set an Intention. This is the crucial first step in creating what you want in life, and in creating and experiencing a body and a life that you love. Step Two is to Identify and Detach from Negative Thoughts.
Do you think that only thin is beautiful, or can you find beauty in everybody? Every woman living in today's culture knows the standard for beauty: you must be thin, young, and toned, and the thinner the better. Of course, having large breasts is a bonus. This is the message projected by the ...
How often do you look in the mirror and say to yourself: "I'm so fat!" "My butt is way too big." "My thighs are flabby; I definitely should not be seen in a bathing suit." "My hair is flat; why can't I have hair like hers?" "My nose is too large. I wonder how much plastic surgery ...
So you're not anorexic, you're not bulimic, and you don’t binge eat . . . most of the time. But do you love your body? According to the latest statistics, the answer is probably "no". If you don’t love your body, you may be stifling your creativity, draining your energy, and limiting your ...
Do you love your body? No really, do you? If you’re a woman, chances are you don’t. Studies show that 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. In fact, many of them truly hate their own bodies. Women as young as five years old and as old as ninety-five, of varying ...
Is your practice of yoga improving your body image, leading you to greater acceptance and appreciation of your physical body? Or is it just one more attempt to develop that "perfect body", eventually leading to suffering and angst? Yoga historically was about spiritual union: it was the process ...
Do you love your body? No really, do you? If you’re a woman, chances are you don’t. Studies show that 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. In fact, many of them truly hate their own bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives, and ...
For me, 2010 will be the year of the heart. In the West, most people think of the mind as being the source of insight, wisdom, knowledge and guidance. People think that the mind is where they will find the answers to life’s most important questions; it is where they think they will discover how to live. And yet for most people the mind is the seat of ignorance, confusion, and difficulty. In other traditions, and in my own experience, the heart is the true seat of wisdom and knowledge. The mind get confused; the heart loves. The mind questions; the heart knows.
You probably know what it takes to live a healthy life, right? Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, take vitamins – maybe add in some fish oil for cardiovascular health. Make sure you get enough protein, carbohydrates, and lean fats. Fortunately for many, healthy eating and exercise have become more and more a way of life. You know the list of do’s and don’ts to keep your body strong and fit.
Growing up is difficult, very difficult. Children are constantly subject to the message that they need to do more, be more, and have more in order to be successful. Media messages teach young girls that their bodies should be unreasonably thin and blemish-free. In addition to having the perfect ...
Can you tell the difference between the objective feedback your body offers versus the critical condemnation of your mind? Your body’s objective feedback can help you make lifestyle choices that promote your health and well-being, whereas the critical condemnation of your mind creates nothing but suffering.
Have you ever flipped through the pages of a woman’s magazine and felt slightly disconcerted? The mixed messages are often enough to make even the most stable and confident woman dizzy with confusion: 10 Great Moves to Sculpt Your Butt! Drink this Protein Shake and Lose Weight! 5 Decadent ...Have you ever flipped through the pages of a woman’s magazine and felt slightly disconcerted? The mixed messages are often enough to make even the most stable and confident woman dizzy with confusion: 10 Great Moves to Sculpt Your Butt! Drink this Protein Shake and Lose Weight!
The holiday season is officially upon us. The history of this special time of the year is one of gratitude and giving. 'Tis the season to be Jolly, right? For many, the modern holiday season is often marked by stress and anxiety, strain and worry, apprehension and insecurity. Dreaming of the season rarely conjures up the overflowing peace, joy, and love that come from true thanks and true giving. Here are a few common stressors that might be draining your joy this season: Not enough money to buy the things you want for your friends and family.
Have you ever spend endless hours in thought, pondering an important decision and felt a consistent pain in your stomach? Do you ever notice yourself having critical thoughts and feel a corresponding tightness in your chest? When you've been happy, excited, or thinking positive thoughts, have ...
Achieving a healthy weight is not just about the food you eat. It's about self-esteem, self-worth, and a healthy emotional life. A recent study confirmed that low self-esteem preceded weight gain. Adolescent girls who viewed themselves as unpopular were 69% more likely to gain weight than their ...
How willing are you to live in the mystery? How willing are you to live the mystery? Or another way to ask this question is how willing are you to allow the mystery to live you? You see, you live in mystery. Or, better said, you are a living mystery. Very few people are ready and willing to accept this mystery. The mind wants to figure the mystery out, seeking to grasp and hold onto the mystery.
In my experience, there is only one real way to increase your self-confidence, and that is through Self-confidence. Self-confidence, with a capital “S”, comes from focusing on the Self, your true Self, your actual Self. Self confidence with a small “s” comes from looking for stability, safety, and security, in that which is inherently unstable, transitory, and fleeting, which is never ultimately effective. Let me explain. . . A lack of self-confidence, or low self-esteem, comes from the ideas, beliefs, attitudes, etc.
Does your daughter love her body? Or does she suffer from that nagging sense that she is not quite good enough? In a culture of stick-thin models, our daughters are embarking on a dangerous path of body dissatisfaction, with dieting, bingeing, and purging. Fortunately, there are things you can ...