One of my favourite mantras around eating is, “It is not about the food!”. I have taken the deep dive into the components of food. It simply turns eating into a tormenting logical game for me. Understanding the intricacies of food and how they affect the body is wonderful, once I keep it behind my intuitive guidance system when choosing food. What I eat when I allow myself to gravitate in any direction is endlessly fascinating.

Taking on the mindset of curiosity with my body has been incredibly freeing. I get to observe myself with the eyes of a child rather than the eyes of a critic. When I sat in the critic chair, over time I developed the pattern of deceiving myself because I wanted to avoid judgment. With the child perspective I feel open and willing to consistently observe myself. If I reach for the sugary things, I watch. If I feel the need for animal products, I am aware and alert.

The choices each day reflect back at me my current state of being. As I slip into eating habits that clog my system, I see the reflection that I am resisting my sensitivity to the world. That nugget of information reveals to me that I need better boundaries in my life. Possibly that I am not doing enough to protect my energetic space. I see the reflection and I adapt to support myself in a deeper way.

With a lack of awareness, I see that my body runs to the solution that acts like a patch. Bringing the issue into my conscious awareness opens my mind up to an array of solutions to choose from. The process of catching these reflections gets easier over time because the patterns are repetitive. Now after doing this for years, I have come to the point where I laugh with myself for the mirror image I see as I choose my food!

Breath into your body now for a moment and invite in the idea that your body is always on your side. Expand your breath with that affirmation, “My body is always on my side.” As you relax and sink a deeper within yourself, affirm to yourself, “All of me is welcome here.” These two simple phrases are the key to getting on the same page with your body. Dropping the shaming self-talk that chimes in with each meal.

If all of you is welcome and if your body is on your side, then food can be a funny reflection that allows you to learn more about yourself. This perspective lightens the load, gives space for laughter, and makes the journey more enjoyable. Laughing your way through changing habits will go a lot smoother than shaming your way to aligning with your higher self. You are your own best healer. Enjoy the journey.