Your Body Doesn't Equal Your Worth.

The body is an external. It is not the core. Your body doesn't equal your worth. However, the body is a metaphor for the core in that the way we experience the body is likely similar to the way we experience our core selves.

The body, for example, is one way that we can receive and experience love. Consider the feeling of a hug or a gentle touch from someone who genuinely cares. The feeling that the body senses is also perceived by the inner core. If one views the body in the mirror with appreciation, it is easier to appreciate the core in a similar way. A respectful, caring attitude toward the body-- reflected in sensible and nurturing health practices-- tends to positively influence one's feelings toward the core self.

Conversely, through mistreatment or ridicule the body can be shamed, and often, by extension, so is the core. Thoughts such as, "I would appreciate my body if I didn't this blemish or that wrinkle or that fat," you are also likely to place harsh conditions on loving the core self. If you are hard on your physical imperfections, you will likely be unkind to your core self as well.

No matter how negatively you may have come to view your body, however, or how negatively it has been treated, your inner core is still intact. It is responsive to healing, refreshing, restorative love.

As you cultivate appreciation for the body, it becomes easier to experience the core self more kindly. The Appreciate Your Body Meditation is an exercise to help you cultivate a wholesome appreciation for your body, no matter what its present condition. Although you or others in the past may have transmitted critical messages about your body, you can learn to experience your body in a whole new, much more positive way.