Whether you are recovering from an illness, want to lose weight or simply get into shape, using the power of appreciation can help you to shift your dominant thoughts about your body. It is AMAZING how much power your thoughts have over your physical well-being! Numerous studies have shown that thoughts do indeed have the power to heal.
Using appreciation to jumpstart this process can be done in a couple of ways. You can either appreciate your body as it is right now – focusing on the things that ARE good (thereby removing your focus from the things that are not pleasing you); or you can focus on the way you want your body to be rather than the condition it is in right now. Either way can work well, depending on the situation.
Appreciating Your Body As It Is Now
If you are battling an illness, excess pounds or anything that makes you feel less than good, you may inadvertently focus too much on those symptoms and keep creating more of them. An appreciation practice can help you switch your focus so you are paying more attention to the things you love about your body, which will help you to attract more things to love about your body, including better health, strength, vitality, and so on.
Start by writing down one thing that you do appreciate about your body right now.
Example:
I appreciate how resilient my body is.
Then, expand on that thought:
Even after all my body has been through, it keeps bouncing right back. I’m amazed that my body can withstand so much illness and still be able to heal itself. I appreciate the self-healing ability of my body. My body can heal cuts, bruises, rashes, even broken bones can knit back together. That is miraculous! I have no doubts that this illness will heal too. My body is already working on it; I just have to take good care of myself and be gentle with my body so it can do it’s miraculous work.
Now you can keep going with that train of thought or choose something else to appreciate about your body. Keep going until you start to feel more positive about your body. Don’t expect an instant healing miracle, but doing this kind of exercise every day can steadily move you into a state of well-being.
Appreciating Your Body As You Want It To Be
If you’re having a hard time appreciating the positive aspects of your body without triggering feelings about the negative aspects, this exercise may be easier for you.
Write a list of things that you will appreciate about your body when it is in the state you wish to experience, and focus on the reasons why you appreciate those things.
Example:
I will love it when my body is strong and powerful again.
I can so easily imagine what it feels like to have plenty of strength and stamina; to run up a flight of stairs without a second thought; to feel great each day. What a blessing good health is!
I appreciate the thought of getting out of bed feeling great!
When you feel good, life is so much easier. I will love it when my body feels good again and I can do things I enjoy with ease!
I appreciate the thought of being able to dance, run, jump for joy, volunteer, or just take a brisk stroll and feel great while I’m doing them. I am ready to feel strong and healthy again. I deserve to feel strong and healthy. I appreciate just thinking about being strong and healthy because it excites me and makes me feel good!
Keep going like this for as long as you can, coming up with more and more reasons to appreciate how you will feel once your body is strong and healthy.