I have noticed a common theme among patients conquering chronic disease and chronic pain conditions.  They have all moved their self-perspective of their bodies from hating their bodies to loving their bodies.  Many times when patients are stuck, they are in a state of despising their physical limitations, and also despising specific body parts.  No matter what is going on physically that feels debilitating, there is always a physical part that is working really really well, and which can be appreciated!  When a person can move to a place of appreciating their body parts, they can more rapidly improve their condition.

Here is an except from my life healing program “37 Days to Maximum Life” dealing specifically with the self-love of body.

Extreme Thought Makeover Day 13:  Self-Love (Physical body)

Today is the day you start loving every inch of you.  As always, you know that we cannot give away what we don’t possess.  In our quest to love others completely  and unconditionally, we need to take the first essential step of offering that same unconditional love to ourselves.

You have already picked out a picture of yourself from childhood (Day 6: Self-Love – Your Childhood Picture) that shows you really happy, and you are practicing wishing complete joy and happiness in life for that child.  You are continuing to focus on the fact that you are worthy of that unconditional acceptance.  To further develop this idea, on Day 7 (Self-Love – List of Personal Attributes) you had a Rampage of Appreciation for many of your wonderful qualities, and were encouraged to identify one positive personal attribute each day.

Today the focus expands to loving your physical body, right now, in this moment, exactly as it is!  Begin by singling out your favorite part of your body. It could be your hands, your eyes, your hair, your ankles, the curve of your forearm, the little dimple when you smile, or the laugh lines on your face.  Gosh, it could even be your pancreas or your kidneys, which serve you so well every day.  It can be anything.  Choose this one specific part of your body to accept, appreciate, admire, and love; exactly as it is.  Continue all day with your focus on appreciating that one single body part.  Think of all the ways you love it, and shower it with admiration.

Tomorrow, choose another body part on which to focus your admiration.  The next day pick another, and the next day, another.  Eventually you will fall madly in love with all of the aspects of your physical body.  Your new and growing self-love will allow you to naturally be comfortable with allowing others to love you exactly as you are.  And only then will you be able to extend that unconditional love to others as well.

Rick Schaefer, M.D.