It’s nearly the end of March….how’s the body love month going?

For myself, I’ve had a hard time remembering to use my mantra, “I love my body as I love my child.” I usually only remember when I’m doing something heinous, like eating a hostess cupcake (100% artificial ingredients!) It doesn’t stop me from eating the rest of the creamy filling, but it is making me pause and think about how I treat my very self. I don’t expect to keep up all the habitude practices I try on this year, but I will keep working on my mantra.

I can’t let a month of body love go by with out kibitzing about my very favorite girlie products. So here’s a list of things I love, just for the record.

MISO PRETTY CASSIS BUBBLE BATH. Oh so luxerious! Mounds of fluffy bubbles with a distinct but not overpowering scent. I love gazing at the bottle which has some of the best art graphics around these days. (The artist has a big new gig–the spring displays hanging all around target.) This is just one great product from the kitschy and empowering Blue Q.

BURTS BEES Grapefruit & Sugarbeet Conditioner. Keeps this natural redhead (wink wink) moisturized and shiny, with natural ingredients to boot.

ZIA MOISTURIZER with Sunscreen. Just a tiny bit spendy, and available at most whole foods type grocery stores. The non-sunscreen one is too heavy — don’t buy the wrong one. Feels so good on my no-longer-twenty-something skin.

ALBA LIP TINT in Sienna. The Magpie Girl doesn’t go anywhere without it. I’ve got one in my the pocket of my vintage car coat, one in my Queen Bee satchel, and one in the pocket of my favorite jeans. A glorified lip balm with just the right amount of color.

AVALON ORGANICS BODY LOTION. Such great scents and really creamy with a quick absorbtion. My favorite? Lavendar or peppermint. I’ve got a bottle on my desk right now!

Much love to all you in body recovery! Stay tuned for next months habitude…I’ll give you a hint, it will save you gas money

My migraine is back (hello darkness my old friend) and it’s hard to wax poetic about the miraculous wonder of being an embodied soul. But I did want to check in about our habitude for March.

I’ve taken Jen B.’s advice and adopted a mantra for the month. Every time I eat or drink I say to myself “I love my body as I love a child.” It came to me after I realized I would never treat my children’s bodies the way I treat my own. I don’t always remember to say it, but I often do, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how often I am making good choices without even thinking about it. Sometimes at the end of the day I go over my food and movement for the day and recite my mantra over each memory. I’m learning a lot…I have a lot to learn.

Inspired by the book Intuitive Eating, I’ve also thrown away all my dieting stuff and given up dieting for good. My Weight Watcher’s point counters are tossed and my scale is deprived of batteries and lying in the back of my closet. I’m eating what I want when I want it, as along as I’m hungry. The first two weeks I worried about gaining more, but so far all my clothes fit the same and my favorite pair of jeans fear maybe feels a little looser.The hardest part is determining whether I’m hungry physically, or just emotionally, but I don’t think I’m falling off the wagon too often.

I’m still writing my morning letters to my body about three days a week. It’s been surprising to me how sympathetic I feel towards my body when I treat her (me) as a person and not as a mysterious, manipulative entity to be battled.

Mostly pleasingly, I’ve noticed a distinct decrease in the amount of negative self talk I do about my body. I have this huge mirror in our bathroom which makes seeing my body (me) as a whole every morning unavoidable. Sometimes, I even smile.

What’s your mantra this month?

Good Morning Body,

Rachelle

I’m not sure what all this is, but I think it might be a clue to next month’s habitude.

And so may this:

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works

I’ll let you know….