I have had my hands on plenty of bodies. Every single one is different. Literally Every. Single. One. I know that each of the minds attached to each of these bodies has something that they are uncomfortable and self conscious about. I understand I do the same thing too! But I want you to know that what you see in the mirror that you may not like, I can't see at all, not even a little bit.
Not once does it cross my mind that you have or haven't shaved your legs, that you've gained or lost weight, or that your body is anything less then the perfect house to hold your spirit.
It's my job to hold the space for your body to be exactly as it is, perfect in its imperfections, it is in creating that safe space that your muscles are willing to let go, that your spirit softens into its home, and that your energy begins to flow once more.
This is why being a gentle therapist often works the best for me and for you, we are so hard on our bodies, we push them to do challenging tasks, we disregard our natural alarm systems that say when it's too much or that we are too tired or that we are indeed hungry, and most of the time we do it all while telling it it's not good enough, fast enough, strong enough, slim enough, or fill in the blank enough. By caring for your body in a way that counteracts these ideas, your body can actually relax and start its innate process of healing, it stimulates the rest and repair functions that are vitally important to create a lasting return to a healthy and happy body.
If you're wondering what else you can do to assist your body in feeling better, take a few minutes in a quite space (if you've got a family and this is hard, the bathroom is any easy place to accomplish this, you can also do this in the shower - it is after all a place where you are caring for your body!)
Sit down, notice your breath first, you don't have to do anything about it, just breathe.
Shift your attention to how you feel in that moment - are you tired, hungry, thirsty, angry, content, happy, joyous, calm. ( you can ask yourself these too - how do I feel? Am I tired? And simply wait for the answer)
You can ask what you can do to make this better, or keep it going, or you can simply say thank you and keep on doing what your doing. It isn't necessary to do anything about the information that you've received, its less about overhauling your lifestyle and more about starting simple, acknowledging and honouring the voice of your body, and opening up the lines of communication and when you can, do better for it. When you can't, try to say nice things and be grateful to your incredible body for doing all it does!