My Relationship with This Body

-This body is in pain from years of bad habits and I (awareness), not focusing on the body and its needs. When this body performs yoga and the mind says this hurts, i say I know this hurts so lets focus on the parts that don't hurt so we can be in this pose a little longer to help release the tightness and pain you and i have acquired from many years of accepting this pain and or habits of not stretching or moving around. The mind usually agrees and then after a few moments we shift into a different pose. My aim is not to hurt the body even tho it feels pain, like I did when I made this body work long hours, sitting and driving trucks, eating food that only brought pleause to the tongue but not the system as a whole. So I remind the mind that it's been tricked into not living a balanced life and although that was painful then, however the tricks and treats of the modern world seemed to do a fantastic job at numbing that reality in the mind and body, now getting back to a truthful way of living, well there will be some pain in the transition. I tell the mind that we will get through this like how we got through everything else to get us to this point in time currently. This body's face usually smiles and is onboard with the plan, and I love this body and mind for this and I love being aware of this to bring change to my reality.

-My relationship with this body starts with how I imagine it feeling. I focus on creating good feelings surrounding this body — not tied to any specific person or gender — but to the energy of connection itself. For example, I’ve noticed that this body feels good when it’s close to others, especially when there’s warmth or physical touch like a hug. That feeling, that energetic exchange, is what I tune into.

How do you show up for your body?

I practiced this awareness last night and again this morning. I noticed the difference in how I carried myself and how I responded to people during my work, where I interact with guests. I was more spontaneous and playful. When it was just me and an older female guest, we had a real conversation. Later, in the van with four guests, three of them were talking to each other, but one male guest and I connected — we made eye contact, asked each other questions, and had a meaningful exchange.

How do you expect yourself to react in the presence of others? Can you prepare to remain calm or know when to leave gracefully from a situation?

These moments reaffirm something I believe: when I’m aware of the relationship I have with my body — and I intentionally imagine it surrounded by positive, good-feeling energy — that awareness shifts how I move through the day. It changes how I respond to people, how I prepare myself, and how I navigate each interaction. It’s not about controlling outcomes — it’s about aligning my body and energy in a way that opens up more of what I want to experience.

You are the god over your body's thoughts and feelings, and although we may have thoughts and feelings instilled in us from childhood, I am now on a journey to take full responsibility of choices I can make to bring peace and joy into my body, starting with how I treat myself when it's just the body and I, which I believe is the god that resides within all