Love the Body You Have

I had an interesting thought a few days ago sparked by a hole in my photo album.  I’ve been searching for pictures for my website and, though I've been teaching yoga for years, there are only 4 pictures of me doing yoga and none at all of my classes (the photo at left I call downward dog with upward cat).  I realized I had never been satisfied by how my body looked as I did yoga.  Not that I was embarrassed, I have no problems demonstrating anything. I just don't feel photogenic.  Aren't all yogis tall and slender? 

Now, this body has taught yoga class every Tuesday for the last 9 and a half years, how could I be so disrespectful of it?  What if, rather than considering the body mine, I look at it from the outside and think about it as if it were someone else’s.  What if I treated my body like it was loaned to me by a friend?  Think about how careful you are when driving a friend’s car.  It gets returned without a scratch and the tank is full of gas, right?

So, if the body is a loaner, the first thing we need to do is appreciate the gift.  After all, how would my spirit express itself without hands to type or a mouth to laugh?  It puts gratitude in a whole new light.  I can see the strength and endurance of the legs, the cleverness of the hands, the pleasure of curly hair.  Arm balances are so easy in this body, and so is sitting on the floor.  The neck hurts, so I should take better care of it.  It’s tired, I'll

give it a rest.

Isn't this mental shift interesting?  It’s like treating ourselves the way we treat a beloved pet.  Ignore the slobber, appreciate the love.  This week try one yoga practice or one meditation session from this point of view.  It is remarkable.