Having a Body Sovereign Holiday

Now that we are about to jump full steam ahead into the holiday season, I encourage you to consider the three elements of body sovereignty (mindfulness, self compassion, discernment) and how working with them can help you navigate the pitfalls of the season when it comes to living positively in our body.

First, consider opening yourself to Self-Compassion over the holidays. Intentionally and regularly offering yourself kindness as the stress of all the errands, tasks and family visits are piled on top of regular life will help you to care for yourself in a positive, self-affirming way and hopefully avoid negative patterns or coping mechanisms you might usually fall into over the holidays. Remind yourself that you, like all people, can feel overwhelmed at times, and see if you can shift any negative self talk to something more helpful. Take some time to think about what actions you can take to actually show yourself kindness. Can you say nice things to yourself? Offer yourself some self-care like a walk with the dogs or a nice cuppa tea? Curl up with a cozy blanket? Write some poetry? Find what works for you, what will let you know that you are cared for, and offer it to yourself. I found this article by Miriam Roelink a really great reminder of the power of self-compassion as a tool for growth.

Mindfulness is hugely helpful when it comes to navigating the minefield of eating over the holidays. We see so much talk and fretting over worries of holiday weight gain that people become even more fearful around food and more deeply entrenched in the mistrust they feel of their bodies during this time of the year. And for many this fear and mistrust triggers the diet mentality of worry and denial followed by out of control or bingeing behaviour and feelings of shame. What if this holiday season you gave yourself permission to eat what appeals to you and set your intention to take the time to truly enjoy the delights of the season…without guilt? I believe doing so without self-recrimination provides the opportunity for us to tune into and be responsive to our bodies, noticing when we are no longer hungry and less likely to overeat. Remember, the step of letting go of self-recrimination, is vital! Otherwise we will simply fall back into the cycle of feeling shame leading to self-defeating behaviours of eating past fullness either to offer ourselves some comfort or to rebel against all the rules and expectations. For more tips check out this post on mindful eating during the holidays from Evolved Eating.

Finally, Discernment. Discernment is about learning to tap into and trust our own innate wisdoms, both the instinctual knowledge and the hard won experiential knowledge that lives deep within our bones, our embodied wisdom. Over the holiday season, the cacophony of voices telling what to eat, what to wear, what to fear how to feel about the food you eat and your body can reach a fever pitch. Pause and reflect critically on the messages coming your way…how do you decide what information is worthy of consideration? Who do you trust, and why? What are your values and how can they help you with decision making? Even more importantly give yourself the gift of listening to your own inner knowledge and wisdom. Take the time to find out what *you* think…what does your mind tell you?  And your gut?

Trust yourself, pay attention to what your body is telling you and above all… show yourself some loving kindness. I wish you all the best this holiday season and for the year ahead.

If you resonate with the work of improving your relationship with your body with the tools of self compassion, mindfulness and discernment, check out my Reclaiming Body Sovereignty Workbook! Available for a special holiday prices of 30% off (use coupon code: Sovereign01).