Belly LOVE: Answers Within

Belly LOVE Reflection
Here’s the deal….
Belly LOVE is not just about my belly. That’s only a tiny part of it. But–it’s the part that snatches my attention–and many of others as well. Truth is, this armor of pudge I’ve been wearing is covering deeper issues, habits, and ways of thinking about myself–my power–and my life. That’s what Belly LOVE is really about. That’s the core issue of this journey. Tearing down the armor of pudge and letting the truth of who I really am shine brightly–physically and even more–spiritually.
When I say Belly LOVE– think of it as a soft, sweet, comforting way of addressing my body as a vessel to house this Creative Juicy spirit of mine. When I speak of Belly LOVE–I might refer to cleaning this house, making some repairs, doing a little remodeling, maybe a little landscaping, decorating, and transforming this house into a warm home—a sanctuary.
Last week I had a really rough time. My days were bonkers. Stressed out. And full of too many deadlines and things that I needed to do–but not enough time or energy to complete them all. The people around me were bonkers, stressed out, and also carrying way too much on their plate. I felt like I was suffocating in a bubble of stress–where everything inside this bubble was bouncing off the walls and hitting me in the process.
Through all of this, I couldn’t find the focus to keep a food journal or to write how many veggies and fruits I ate in a chart. I had the intention to. But with all the other things I had to do–with the piles and piles of paperwork that needed to be completed–writing one more thing would have put me over the edge.
Seriously.
So I made a conscious decision NOT to do it. And I made a conscious decision to be mindful of what I did do. And, the one thing that I did every single morning and night–was YOGA. I even got myself to Yoga class a few times.
It was around Wednesday when Yoga helped me pop the stress bubble I put myself in. From that point on Yoga helped me feel awake and alive in those challenging moments–instead of suspended in a bubble of stress. Yoga made me aware that I constantly have a choice. A choice to choose between what will deliver me energy and what will steal it from me.
This applies to everything. From work situations, relationships, food, to even what movies we watch.
I decided that I didn’t want another thing to do–like writing down my meals. Yoga reminded me that what I need is already a part of me.
What I need is to turn up the voice within my body. To really listen. To allow myself the time to be quiet and centered enough to know what it is asking. Yoga is the tool that helps me hear the voice of my belly. These movements of stretching, breathing, and holding myself up in a powerful stance connects me with the wisdom of my body unlike any journal or chart ever could. When I stand on my mat I can feel my circulation….I can feel my muscles wrap around my bones and hold me up…and I swear I can even feel the drop of sweat before it leaves my pore.
And I realize….deep, deep down inside me….during Yoga….I feel how my body LOVEs me. How my body is alive and working to house me–to serve me–and to support the mission of my life.
This armor of pudge has been hiding my truth. It has been covering up things–like faith, strength, and innate wisdom. This armor is not made of chain mail, but rather cells filled with memories and ideas that no longer serve me. I do not need to lose weight—instead, I need to shed this armor for good. I need to release the voices that are trapped in each fat cell–and let their story fall from me in drops of salty sweat as they rest in the earth below.
Belly LOVE, you see my friends, is about a journey that has been waiting patiently for me to finally gain the courage to begin. And the funny thing is, when I finally realized this, I started at the same place where I’ve left off over and over again….my Yoga practice.
Belly LOVE Intentions
This week, as I navigate through and around many other stress bubbles–my intention is to focus on my Yoga practice first and foremost–as a total act of Belly LOVE.

Belly LOVE Wisdom
This past week there were three beautiful Belly LOVE posts of wisdom I read that I would like to share with you….
The Secrets The Body Wants to Tell Me by Heather Plett of Fumbling For Words
(About looking at the body as a journey.)
Mother You Are Enough by Julie Daley of Unabashedly Female
(About embracing our physical flaws as a gift.)
Cynco de Sober by Suzi Blu
(About realizing that sometimes what our bodies need most is healing, space, and kindness.)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD8ut1mo5eA&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
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