Do you really love your body?

By Dr. Scott Graves

This was a question that I asked the body of someone that I was with the other day. Through many forms, one of them being applied kinesiology, you can actually “talk” with the body. I asked the question and when his body gave the response that told me that he did not love his body, his reaction was at first very defensive. ”This body talk business is nonsense!”

I sat with him and continued to listen and within the next few minutes he went from defensiveness to being on the verge of tears. He admitted that he really didn’t love his body. He was angry for the way his body looked. He was upset because his health problems were getting worse. Shame was an emotion that was beginning to surface with regards to his body and what he was going through. He was ashamed of what he looked like.

My heart was heavy that day because of how I feel with patients when they are hurting so bad. This is something that I feel is a part of the lives of many that are struggling with health problems, diseases or body issues. Often times, our bodies are the expression of what is going on on the inside – mentally, emotionally or spiritually. All of these areas can have a profound impact on our health and they are all interconnected.

So ask yourself this question right now: DO YOU LOVE YOUR BODY?

Our thoughts are incredible powerful and I feel that many times, our thoughts alone can determine whether our body is healthy or not. The ancient Chinese and Indian systems of medicine have known this for thousands of years. They are not systems of medicine that only deal with things on a physical level like Western medicine seems to do. We are complete beings with a spirit, soul and body, all interconnected, all affecting one another. Our thoughts can have a tremendous impact on our physical health.

Do you hate your body? How do you expect to heal if you don’t love your body, if you don’t love yourself?

If you have a dominate thought, a negative thought such as, “I hate my body” or “I am not happy with the way I look” or anything along those lines, what effect does this negative , non-loving internal self talk have on the physical health of our body? For some, this is literally life vs death and you can feel it and know what I am talking about. Negative thoughts, events or experiences in our lives transmit powerful energies that every single cell in our bodies can feel and respond to. 

Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, Jesus, made a fascinating comment when he said, “Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF” (Mark 12:31). Loving others is the highest expression of who we are and is what life is all about. This idea could be switched around and a question posed – “If you don’t truly love yourself, can you really love others all that well?”

• When we don’t forgive those in the past that have hurt us, are we really loving ourselves?
• When we compare our bodies or want to change our body to look like the body of a supermodel that has probably been photoshoped, are we really loving ourselves?
• When we eat junk food as a form of escape or “medicating” from the problems we have, are we loving ourselves?
• When we subject the body to chemicals, toxins, impure water/food or anything else we know to not be healthy, are we loving ourselves?
• When we have physical health problems, instead of blaming others or circumstances, are you willing to love yourself enough to take responsibility for how you may have created the problem?

Your body is constantly trying to communicate with you. What I have seen from experience is that many people aren’t listening. When people begin to listen and truly love themselves, the path to healing begins to open. These small yet powerful thoughts begin to resonate with and communicate love to every cell in your body and the world around you begins to respond to the love you are giving yourself. It may be a person who mysteriously pops into your life, an article you read that “spoke” to you, a message you heard on the radio or simply just listening to the symptom your body has been giving you that is the signal that you need to pay attention, listen and perhaps change something in your life. I dont know what that looks like for you.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU TO BEGIN TO TRULY LOVE ALL OF YOU?

All I know is that I see far to many people in this world that truly don’t love their bodies. People think mistakenly that by indulging and doing whatever they way that this is love. Love is not always doing whatever to your body even if it feels good at the time. I LOVE Kit Kats. It is a brutal love affair. I know that if I eat them that, even though it may feel good at the time, my body will pay the price. If you feel guilt and shame for eating something you shouldn’t, you are sending negative, non-loving thoughts to your body. You have to love the food you eat in order to send that love to your whole body. Why not eat what you know you should and love that you are truly nourishing your body?

Physically, I would much rather prefer to have a Kit Kat than vegetables. What is going on mentally for is another story all together. I eat vegetables, lots of them, everyday, willingly, gladly, and excitedly! Why? Because I know that vegetables provide love – nutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc… – that my body needs to be truly healthy. This, in turn, makes me feel more alive from the inside out. Kit Kat’s don’t do anything positive for my body and this is not true love.

My encouragement to you is to ask yourself, honestly, if there are ways in which you are not loving yourself. Where do you need to take responsibility for the ways you may have brought your health problems upon you? How can you love yourself so much that when you wake up in the morning, you can scream at the top of your lungs, “I LOVE MY BODY!” ? Imagine how sending this message to your whole body could radically change your health, your life? Make one positive loving step in the right direction today.

Dr. Scott Graves ND, MA is a Florida-based Naturopath and Intuitive who specializes in Nutrition Response Testing, NAET, EFT, and Psychokinesiology. He offers free 15 minute phone consultations and is available for radio and TV interviews. Like him on Facebook.