Without any intention on my part, the theme for my week has been about the body. First I read an article about Dr. Joseph Dispenza’s new book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, in which he writes about the body-mind connection. He says we need to “teach the body emotionally what we understand intellectually.” Then I was moved yesterday to go back to Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth, a book I downloaded on my Kindle and began reading months ago. I just happened to be at the section where Roth describes a belly meditation she teaches, emphasizing an awareness that we occupy our bodies, so we can be perceptive of their cues.
Finally, I heard an alarming story earlier in the week about a woman who reconnected with a man she hadn’t seen in years, slept with him after spending just one day together, and turned around and did the very same thing with another man the next day. She ended up pregnant and does not know which one is the father. Of course, the pregnancy could be the least of her problems; having had two episodes of unsafe sex, she may have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, even HIV.
What can I say to convince you that your body is God’s greatest tangible gift to you? How can I help you see that no matter what goals you have set for yourself in this life, you will need to your body to accomplish them? All major religions I know of teach that life is eternal, but we know that our bodies are not. Stop comparing yourself to images of perfection from the media and cease focusing on what doesn’t work. Honor and treasure your amazing body, and only share it with someone who does the same!