We live in an age of distorted attitudes to our bodies, particularly around how we look. For many people, especially younger generations, social media has amplified the link between how we identify with our appearance and our well-being. This is often based on how we compare ourselves with others.
One of the challenges of using social media is that people who carefully curate their perfect online image often feel less attractive and confident about how they really look. At the extreme, the gap between perfection and reality causes people to become depressed and dissatisfied with their body and their lives – as they yearn to become the online fiction they created. Even though we’re surrounded by attractive celebrities, the research found that the strongest comparisons on social media tend to be with people we know.
A survey of more than 10,000 women across 13 countries found that body image affects the self-esteem of many women. For instance, in the UK only twenty percent said they were happy with how they looked. Sixty-five percent blamed advertising and the media for their issues with body image. And it’s not just women who have negative body image. In other research, more than eighty percent of men said that they experienced anxiety about physical flaws and imperfections, whether this is being overweight, hair loss or not being attractive. On top of this, advertising and media tend to promote youth and perfection at the expense of other life stages, which we all eventually live through. Our consumer culture judges how we look, which not only creates anxiety and feelings of low self-worth but at the extreme can lead to serious self-harm.
Another way of looking at your body is that it’s a miraculous vehicle that takes you on your journey through life, keeping you alive, moving you around, and allowing you to think, feel, see, hear, and experience the full richness of life. Consider the interdependent systems that work together in your body – breathing, blood circulation, your nervous system, digestion, muscles, and bones. Our bodies are the product of millions of years of evolution. For instance, we share the same characteristics as many other mammals with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. There are up to 75 trillion cells in the body. According to researchers many of these cells are replaced every seven to ten years. So, most of the physical body you had ten years ago is not the same as the one you have now. Although we identify with our body, the fact that it changes every ten years shows that we are not our body. Rather than fully appreciating and feeling gratitude for our body, we tend to be critical, and judgmental. This leads to a poor relationship with our body, which influences our mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being. As a thought experiment, imagine that your body is a favourite pet or a child you love, and try applying the same level of negative criticism. Your body has worked quietly away in the background supporting you every day of your life.
Practising mindfulness can help mend this relationship by fully connecting us with our bodies. By becoming more aware of our body in the moment we can tap into its innate energy, aliveness, and vitality that’s always there in the background of our experience. We can bring kindness and compassion towards our body, fully appreciating and feeling gratitude for everything that it does. For instance, when was the last time you walked down the street and saw the miracle of movement and balance as your body walked for you?
The pressures around us can make us feel dissatisfied and disconnected from our bodies. With mindful awareness, we can change this to a more compassionate, caring, and nurturing relationship that makes a transformational difference to our health, happiness, and well-being.
Suggested weekly practice
- When you first wake up in the morning and while you are still lying in bed, try taking your attention down to the soles of your feet and scan up your body as you appreciate and feel gratitude for all that your body does.
- Bring compassion to your body by treating it well; allowing it to rest and relax, exercise, and consume healthy food.
- Explore the relationship you have with your body, from feeling a bit remote and dissatisfied with it, to a kind and nurturing a sense of connection as you appreciate and sense the energy, aliveness, and vitality in your body.
Guidance
Find somewhere undisturbed and sit in a comfortable, dignified and upright posture, where you can remain alert and aware. There are two guided practices for this session. You can close your eyes, or lower your gaze while the meditations play.
- Play the first settling practice, then read through the session content, which you can print off if that helps.
- Then play the second practice to explore the relationship you have with your body and bring awareness, appreciation, kindness, and compassion to your body.
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