The Hindu Business Line : You are beautiful

Here’s hoping you don’t suffer from BID — body image disorder. It means most of your waking day you are completely obsessed with a distorted idea of how your body looks. Your mind is tied in knots as you visualise and feel that your body is ugly, bloated, heavy, sagging, aging and so on.

The eyes see what the mind wants them to see. So, the reflection you see in the mirror seems to closely resemble what you think you look like.

The truth is: you look much better, far more attractive than your reflection. You may think you are overweight, have a slouch or are disproportionate, but there’s grace in your movements, a sweetness in your smile, a unique charm in your body-language that you cannot perceive in a static reflection.

No less a personage than Albert Einstein strongly felt that the mind creates a kind of optical illusion, it separates things and makes us miss our wholeness.

From this sense of separation come tension, low self-esteem and alienation which places enormous friction on our bodies, the ensuing damage contributing to emotional imbalance (such as depression), disease (cancer, heart problems) and premature aging.

Clearly, you must reverse the bio-image disorder to order. The trick is to work on the spine. For it is through the spine that the bioplasmic energy flows, sending impulses to the brain.

Stretching the spine improves breathing, centres your consciousness and brings on a tremendous feeling of joy and alertness. There are two excellent exercises to restore your bio-image order:

The Tree Pose

Stand erect with the right foot placed against the left inner knee-thigh area. Raise your hands in the namaste pose over your head. Hold for about 10 counts and visualise a straight rod of blazing light all through your spine reaching your raised hands.

Affirm silently, “I am poised. I am perfect.” Repeat with the other leg. You will find yourself affirming with growing conviction over the next few days.

The Bending Pose

Stand erect. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend forward all the way down until your hands grasp your ankles. Drop your head gently and feel your spine relax. Initially, if you can’t keep your knees straight, you may bend them slightly. Hold this position for 10 counts, affirming, “I am light. I am flexible and free.” Then, straighten up slowly.

The change in your thinking is not a dramatic eureka! or a voila! It’s more subtle, a gradual growing feeling of belonging, of being more comfortable in your skin.

Please know that you are experiencing wholeness. Something that was unlovable about you earlier now doesn’t seem to exist. The body becomes an ally, in that, it doesn’t just operate like a mechanical device, it cooperates like a living, intelligent organism.

Simultaneously, look out for self-esteem enhancing options:

I have the option to save money by strolling in the park instead of spending money and eating a chocolate cake for self-gratification.

I have the option to make three people happy by reaching out and doing something for them instead of sitting around like a sad sack.

I have the option to think of all the things I can be thankful for instead of feeling short-shrifted.

I have the option to think that even if life seems unfair at times, it’s still largely good, instead of constantly complaining about ‘unfairness’ and ‘injustice’.

I have the option to make peace with my past instead of simmering over it in the present.

I have the option to feel blessed instead of feeling stressed.

Knowing you have a positive, more sensible option gives you a wonderful sense of control over your life. The phrase, “I have the option…” is greatly uplifting. Please realise that instead of being wrapped in thoughts of your ailments, sorrows, woes, resentments, you always have the option to give joy, hope, courage, to add value to all the people you come in contact with, including yourself!

Think about it: when a friend with low self-esteem tells you, “I’m not capable of doing this project,” what will be your instant response? “Of course you are capable of doing this project!” you will say, and mean it too.

Respond in the same way to yourself. Stand in front of the mirror and exclaim, “Of course, you are capable!”

The fact is that when you have low self-esteem, you tend to sit down and tolerate illness and even get defeated by it. Whereas, a high self-esteem makes you realise that you have authority over the illness and you can overcome it, show it the door and enjoy bounding vigour and wellness.

In sum, do not waste precious energy by looking for flaws in the body. Give your body its due — nourishing food, regular exercise, sunlight, fresh air, uplifting meditation, inspiring thoughts.

As a spiritualist said, “Good, positive thoughts affect you; bad negative thoughts infect you.” Negative thoughts are debts, they require paybacks; positive thoughts are wealth, they create abundance. And all healing is prosperity. May you always prosper.

The writer is co-author of the book ‘Fitness for Life’.

Related Stories from The Hindu:
That heavy burden of weight

More Stories on : Health | Fitness First

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Pickled at the thought!

Cholamandal collection

Mompreneurs Inc

Oh, for those genuine libraries