Your Body is a Temple
My mom taught me from an early age,
Your body is a temple.
Your body is a Temple.
What does that mean for me?
Loving my body.
How do you treat a temple?
You keep it clean.
You don’t let people mistreat it- as much as possible, you plan for protection and then reinforce protection/boundaries as needed.
It means that not everyone gets access to all parts of me.
Your body is a temple whether its new or old.
Trendy or classic.
You can change the decorations to enhance your temple.
Bright green shorts (pic below)- maybe don’t make my butt look great, but I love the color, so big butt it is.
Sunset colors and silks, yes I’ll wear them.
Loving your temple means that you gaze upon it with kindness, compassion, and acceptance.
You can’t love the temple with the same breath you curse the temple.
You can’t expect someone else to see your beauty if you throw compliments back to people as soon as they notice you.
It is vulnerable to have a temple in the square?
Not if you train people how to treat you.
Years ago I worked as a teacher with a man who would make comments about women’s bodies that were not invited.
My coworkers warned me about him. I’d heard in passing him make comments to someone else. Most of my female coworkers would turn and go the other way if they saw him heading their direction down the hallway.
One day I wore a sarong to school. Clothing that wraps on and fits multiple purposes has always lit me up.
I went to the teachers lounge for my planning period and got my lunch. Someone complimented me on my skirt.
“Thank you,” I said. “It’s a sarong, it wraps on.”
“Does it wrap off?” the man who made women uncomfortable asked. The silence in the room echoed. He had never talked to me in that way. The 3 other people in the room waited to see how I would react.
I turned slowly and stared at him. My eyes didn’t say, “How dare you?” No. It was some level beyond that. I’m not sure I can explain it.
I held his gaze, not with hatred, anger, or meanness. There was simply no space in which he was allowed to interact with me that way.
“No, it doesn’t not.” I held his gaze, calmly sending the message that this was unacceptable.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” He quickly apologized and practically stumbled over himself to leave the room.
From that day forth, he only treated me with the highest of respect- ha, honestly, most days gave me a wide berth.
I tried to tell my coworkers that they didn’t have to put up with treatment that made them uncomfortable. They could say no.
The more that you love and honor yourself, the less that others can erode your opinion of yourself.
The original meaning of virgin was someone who is sovereign over their own self. The word virgin derives from a Latin root meaning strength, force, and skill.
I am married, but by this definition I’m still a virgin. No man or woman is allowed to make me feel less. I am sovereign over my own body and that’s the end of the story.
Does it still happen that someone hurts my feelings or makes me feel like 💩 for an hour or evening?
Yes,
but then I meditate, dance, journal, or go for a walk in nature.
I see the trees.
They don’t look at me with judgment.
They don’t make comments about my body.
They don’t give a damn about my external appearance.
They feel my energy and I feel theirs.
The temple’s power does not originate from the outward form.
The temple’s power does not come from how it looks.
The inner structure,
the presence, and
the purpose of the temple.
These are what gives it its power.
In many cultures its speculated that churches were modeled after the arches of tree branches in the forest above.
For many people, the forest is their church.
If you would like to cultivate this Body is a temple philosophy, here are two steps to begin:
1. Ask yourself, How can I treat my body like a temple today? Does that mean 1 less glass imbibed of wine? Maybe?
Does it mean more lotion and sunscreen and less judgment? perhaps.
Does it mean not letting scallywags and live rent-free in your temple’s inner chamber?
I hope so.
2. Spend more time with non-humans.
Animals, insects, and trees. They have no inner dialogue of drama and peer pressure and cultural conditioning.
Its easier to lessen your attachment to your body’s appearance when you’re surrounded by trees with scars, dead branches, and plants who haven’t exfoliated in months.
Keep this energy going by picking up a copy of Talk to the Trees today.
Seeing your body as a temple teaches you how to treat yourself and how to teach others how to treat you.
If you resonate with this and want me to help you move forward with a positive opinion of yourself and work with you on treating your body like a temple, book a call.
