This week is NEDA’s Body Acceptance Week, where individuals and organisations come together to promote body positivity, body acceptance and body liberation for all.
Inspired by the week, we sat with Pippa, Orri’s Yoga and Body Awareness Therapist, to learn how we can return to our bodies.
1. Pause
Stop what you’re doing and take a moment to notice your internal landscape. Using a ’traffic light system’ can be a helpful way to pause and connect.
Place your attention for a few moments on your ‘Mind, then Heart, then Body’ – notice your thoughts, any physical sensations and any feelings present.
2. Touch
Find a way to make contact with your body. This could be thumb and first finger touching, one hand on the opposite shoulder or placing a hand on your heart space.
Let your attention settle on the part of your body you are making contact with. Your contact is a way of grounding your attention into the present moment. Stay here for a few moments or as long as feels comfortable.
See if you can let your body relax and soften with every exhale...
3. Voice
Create space in your day to let your body ‘speak’.
Journaling is a great way to do this.
Set aside 5 minutes and ask yourself: ‘If my body could speak, it would tell me….’ – this can support us to develop our body awareness and identify our needs.
“Research shows that body dissatisfaction is a leading risk factor in the development of an eating disorder.”
