Golda Poretsky's Blog, page 27

The Scariness Of Getting What You Want

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast here:

Sometimes, getting what you want is the scariest thing in the world.

We all know what we want.  We're good at pining away for something.  But then when it happens, we don't always know how to handle it.

Say, for example, you're single and you really want to be in a relationship.  You think about the person you might want to be with, what qualities he or she should have, what he or she might look like, etc.  And then… you become involved with someone, and it may not be like what you had expected.  And then you end up with a whole new set of desires, like, you wish you could get this person to go out more, or stay home more, or appreciate goat cheese.

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"Song Of Creation" From The Triple Goddess Tarot. Image By Mara Friedman

Since I started my business, I had a desire that every woman who worked with me would experience big transformations in how she felt about herself and how she related to food.  I want each of my clients to feel a new sense of power, love for their bodies, love for the food they eat, love for who they are and what they mean to the world.  Not only that, I had a big desire for them to feel so good that they wanted to tell all of their friends.  Those are some of my many business desires.

Until I started The Empress Club last year (my group coaching program),  I had always worked with women one on one, so when their programs ended, I would get a lot of juicy feedback on how meaningful an experience it was for them, and sometimes it would feel a little overwhelming, but this lovely, emotional feedback would only be expressed to me a few times a month, at most.  But this time around, as The Empress Club ended, I got a TON of gorgeous feedback about how the program was for the Empresses, and I got it ALL AT ONCE.

This is a great thing, right?  And yet, I found myself judging myself for how I received it, almost like I was trying to push it away because I couldn't handle it.

Again, I'm not saying that I don't like getting positive feedback from my clients or that I'm not grateful for it — it's the best thing in the world to know that what you do actually made a difference to someone.  I'm just saying that sometimes getting what you want can knock you far enough out of your comfort zone that you're not sure that you want it anymore.

Not feeling good about getting what you want can be a real issue.  It can cause you to push away your desires because you feel not capable, undeserving, or even guilty for having them. So let's look at 3 ways that you (and I) can deal with making room for more and more of our desires coming true.

1) Keep Track Of Your Desires — Sometimes, acknowledging our desires feels weird.  Especially as women, we're taught to compromise and quell our desires to keep the peace and not make waves.  That is so not cool with me.  It's bad for you and it's bad for the planet.  So the way to start getting more of what you want is to acknowledge what you want.  Keep an ongoing list of your desires.  Allow yourself to fine tune them and add to this list.  Knowing what you want makes it easier to allow yourself to have what you want.

2) Allow Room For Gratitude — I like to keep an ongoing gratitude list.  I write, "I'm grateful for …" and I get specific.  This allows me to digest all that I have and all that I receive.  It gives me the space to really acknowledge the gratitude I feel when I can't always express it in the moment of receiving it.  After I write a few gratitudes, I take a few seconds (or minutes) to feel the gratitude for these things in my body.  In a way, I see this as much like digesting food — when you've digested your food, you create space for more, right?  So when I've digested the good things I've experienced, I also make room for more.  That's the power of this practice.

3) Affirm That You Can Handle It – Using the gratitude practice will help you make this affirmation feel more real, but it's important to keep affirming to yourself that you can handle the fulfillment of your desires.  For example, if you get a promotion at work (hopefully, with a monetary raise) and you're feeling scared that you can't handle it, you'll want to affirm to yourself that "I'm great at my job" or "I'm great at my job and I can handle everything I need to do."  The power of this affirmation is that you will do better at your job, even if being great at your job means asking some colleagues for support in doing that better job.  Affirmations like this allow the fulfillment of your desires to keep coming toward you.

Feel free to share some of your big desires in the comments section below!

So, I'm going to fulfill one of my desires right now, and that's to share a bit of the feedback I got on The Empress Club from one of the participants.

"After years of hating my body, being immersed in chronic dieting and dealing with emotional eating issues, I decided that I couldn't live like that anymore.

Deciding to join The Empress Club was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was expecting to be able to relate better with my body, feel less self-conscious and break my relationship with diets, instead I got so much more! I have learned to be comfortable in my own skin, to feel real love for my body and embrace my emotions as a real part of myself, just as real as my arms or legs. Now, I walk around with confidence and embrace my own beauty, I get more compliments on daily basis, I enjoy my meals, I identify my hunger, I stop eating when I am full, and I finally stopped worrying about going on a diet again.

I've learned to deal with my emotional issues instead of eating on them, to be kind to my self, and above all to embrace and accept with love, the person that I was, I am, and will be.  I finally feel like I am beautiful, and that I am at the right place in my life.

If you are feeling unhappy with your reflection, if you are tired of struggling with self hate, food issues or negative self body talk, Golda's approach is just right for you.  She has a really warm and heart-talking style, you´ll never feel alone on your self love journey. You'll never regret working with Golda–it's a life-changing experience!"

– Sonia Marrón Alonso. Baja California, Mexico

Wasn't that soooo juicy? I'm so excited for Sonia!

By the way, if you're curious about the Empress Club, click here to get a free 30 minute session with me where we can talk about The Empress Club as well as any issues that you're having with food and body image.

Happy desiring!

The Scariness Of Getting What You Want originally appeared on on April 11, 2011.

Just A Techy Glitch — Body Love Wellness Podcast Is Here To Stay!

Just a quick explanation from Golda Poretsky, HHC as to recent podcast tech glitches and why they shouldn't happen again once itunes recognizes the new feed.

(I know. Fascinating!)

In the meantime, you can always listen to the podcast right here at the Body Love Wellness Blog!

Just A Techy Glitch — Body Love Wellness Podcast Is Here To Stay! originally appeared on on April 10, 2011.

Spring Skin Care & Super Swag!

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

So, I was approached by Eucerin to write a few posts about Spring/Summer skin and provide some swag to a few lucky readers (and, full disclosure, myself) and I thought it might be fun to give it a go!

I pretty much don't get that wintry dry skin that most people get, because I think I may have internal oil reserves that rival Alaska.  But I know that for many of you, dry skin is an issue for most of the year.  So let's talk about some things that you can do from a nutrition/supplement perspective to support your skin this Spring.

1) Support Your Liver – In traditional Chinese Medicine, your liver kicks into high gear in Spring.  That's because your body is in the process of cleansing some of the old of Winter to make way for the new of Spring.  A great way to support your liver in this process is to use milk thistle, a really gentle herb that supports the liver in doing all the myriad functions that it has.  Milk thistle is also great for your skin because the more support your liver gets, the less hard your skin has to work to get rid of the gunk.

2) Add In Greens & Berries – Because I work from an  intuitive eating/Health At Every Size perspective, I don't like to tell anyone what to eat.  That's just not my bag.  But I think it's great to talk about health-supportive foods that we can consider when we're asking our bodies what they really crave.  And so, I think it's great to consider adding in greens and/or berries.  Greens are great for a gazillion reasons — they contain fiber which supports your liver and other organs in flushing out toxins, they de-acidify the blood, and they contain needed vitamins.  Consider adding in lovely greens like kale, swiss chard, arugula and spinach to your meals, particularly if you like them!  Also, berries are starting to ripen as we get into Spring.  These contain fabulous phyto-chemicals, antioxidant vitamins, bioflavinoids and other nutrients that are great for supporting your body in feeling its best, which is also great for skin.  Plus, they taste awesome, so they're a really easy thing to add into what you're eating already.

3) Drink Warm Water – As the weather gets warmer, we often seek out colder drinks. But drinking warm or hot water, just by itself, can be more hydrating to the body and support your lymph in moving more easily.  Hydration and proper lymph movement are important for helping your body to feel good and your skin to look great.  Experiment with drinking hot water with nothing in it and you might actually like it (like I do).

4) Move Joyously — Exercise for exercise's sake is okay, but I like to move for fun.  Moving your body with joy and pleasure gets your circulation flowing, let's you sweat (which your skin just loves), and gets you in touch with the energy of this time of year, which is all about new beginnings and moving forward!

5) Enjoy The Weather –  We look forward to the warmer weather for so long that it's important to really enjoy when it comes!  Make it a point to move some of your activities outside, from taking walks to picnics in the park, etc.  And if you're looking for protection from sunburn and protecting your skin for the long haul, Eucerin has some very cool products, like Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 15 Body and SPF 30 Face Lotion, which are great moisturizers that also provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

Interested In A Bit Of Swag? Just do this:

Go to the Eucerin Facebook Page to take the pledge, join the movement and share tips on how Everyday Protection SPF 15 & 30; Body and Face Lotion can help you as the weather changes.
Leave a comment below (with a valid email address) and a winner will be picked at random from the commenters about 30 days after the date of this post.  The winner will receive a Prize Pack with Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 15 Body Lotion and SPF 30 Face Lotion!

Happy swagging!

Full Disclosure: I'm receiving Eucerin products (for my readers and me). The thoughts and opinions, however, that I share in this post are strictly my own and are not influenced by receipt of these products.

Spring Skin Care & Super Swag! originally appeared on on April 9, 2011.

BLW Update! Podcast, Free Teleclasses, And The Empress Club

Hello! It is I, Golda, with a few quick announcements!

1) THE PODCAST — Thanks to everyone who let me know that last week's podcast didn't show up on itunes or anywhere else!  I'm sorry about that.  I've decided to leave my old podcast server (which is podbean.com, by the way, and don't use it unless you love being annoyed) and move everything over to podpress.  This may cause additional hiccups, but hopefully will work out quite nicely.  In the meantime, if the podcast is screwy, you will know why!  Nevertheless, I hope to have it all worked out within a week.

2) FREE TELECLASS — USING THE SECRETS OF THE DIVINE FEMININE TO HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND YOUR BODY — It's tonight!  All new, yummy, juicy, delectable tips and techniques and a special bonus offer!  If you can't make it, register anyway and get the recording.  Registration takes a few seconds and you can do it by clicking here.

3) THE EMPRESS CLUB GROUP COACHING PROGRAM — The Empress Club is starting up again in mid-May, and it's going to be amazing.  We're going deep into body love and intuitive eating to help you heal your relationship with food and your body, once and for all.  If you're sick of struggling with food and not feeling good about how you look, and want to be part of a community of supportive women who are committed to changing the way they feel about themselves, the Empress Club may be for you.

I've got gals from all over the country signed up already, and I'm looking for a few more good women.  If you think you might be one of them, or just want to learn more, sign up for a 30 minute Empress Club Interview by clicking here. I'm only opening up 5 of these interviews via the blog, so register now to get your spot!

xoxo,

Golda

BLW Update! Podcast, Free Teleclasses, And The Empress Club originally appeared on on April 7, 2011.

The Power of "Let's Do This."

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast here:

Last weekend, I took part in a business coaching workshop led by my mentor, Bill Baren. I was really excited to be there, to network with other business owners, to learn how I could reach more people with my message of radical body love and full-bodied empowerment.

Initially, I had viewed this workshop as "safe space."  Unlike a health or wellness conference where things can devolve into anti-obesity health trolling really quickly, I didn't expect that to happen at a conference that was really about doing a better job of marketing your business.

But, apparently, my expectations were kind of askew.

On the second day of this three-day conference, a wellness consultant was asked to speak about healthy things to do to have more energy for your business.  Great, weight-neutral topic, right?  But it soon became about how much weight her clients had lost, personal stories about weight loss (with lots of clapping) and how, if your business is failing, it's probably your "health" (or, really, your weight).

Needless to say, I was severely pissed off.  I spent much of the day processing my anger and deciding what to do about it with the awesomely patient, awesomely HAES Anne Cuthbert, whom I had just met.  I wasn't sure how to broach the subject.  Do I talk to Bill after class?  Do I raise my hand and speak up?  I found myself judging myself for not knowing what to do in that moment.  (Can you guys relate?)

Then, the next day, it felt like things were getting even worse.  One participant got up and talked about her idea for a photography based program that sounded really cool, and then she started talking about "this obese woman in my cooking class" and started to describe her in detail and how she wanted to "help her."  As you can imagine, I was fuming.  And then another "weight loss specialist" got up and started talking about her program.

I just couldn't take it, so I walked out.

Walking out of the room itself wasn't enough, so I literally walked outside.  I walked along the water for a bit near the hotel.  I dashed off an email to the also awesomely patient Marilyn Wann on my phone.  I knew that I really needed to walk out in that moment, but if I never returned to the conference I would end up mad at myself.  I started to feel annoyed that the words of just a few people had made me feel like an "other" and that I had accepted that determination.

As I walked back to the hotel, I could see through the huge windows that the conference must be on break.  So I went in and waited in a long line of people to talk to Bill.  I told him what had been happening for me, how upset I was at the way people were talking about fat people, how I felt that if I stood up to ask a question about my business now, that most people would assume I was having an issue in my business because of my weight.  To his credit, he really heard me.  He said he had been looking for me to have me speak but he couldn't find me in the audience!  So he asked me to take the floor when people came back from break.  I was glad that he asked me, but also scared. When I speak I like to have notes.  I like to plan what I say.  After having a really emotional couple of days, a big part of me said, "I'm not ready."

Throughout the conference, Bill and his business partner had been talking about the importance of taking "imperfect action;" i.e., not waiting for something to be perfect before you do it.  It's something I believe in deeply.  I know that if I spend too long perfecting something it will never get done.  It's like waiting until your apartment is perfectly spotless before having friends over — if you're me, that means never having friends over.

So Bill called on me and I took the stage.  I remembered Marilyn's words of advice that it's important to remind people of "what's in it for them."  So I talked about my experience, about what it's like to be a fat person in our society, and how assuming things about someone based on their size, fat or thin, is detrimental for all of us.  It felt good to say all of this, to get the thoughts that were swirling around my head out to the people who I really wanted to hear this.

It was an incredible feeling.  I got a standing ovation for that very imperfect speech.  And after that, a slim man got up and told the room that they might not know it, but that he was gay.  He seconded what I was saying about feeling like an other, and he stated that he wanted to be a "thin ally."  He didn't know if there was such a thing, but he wanted to be one!  It felt amazing to have his support.

After the talk I got questions of the "what about health???" variety, but it led to a really open conversation where people seemed to really understand the problem with that whole question.  And for the rest of the day I mainly got lots of hugs along with words of support.  Plus, there was no more anti-fat talk!  It had become a safer space again for fat people again.

My point in writing this is not to say that it's easy to speak up in an anti-fat environment, because it really isn't.  I was really lucky to have a conference leader who got what I was talking about, and the support of Anne and Marilyn.  If all those things hadn't happened, I may not have been able to speak up in the way I did.  But it did remind me that imperfect action feels really good.  It felt really good to take the stage and look at that group of 150 people and say, "Fuck it.  Let's do this."

Or, ahem, "Let's take imperfect action."

So when have you taken imperfect action and it worked? Let me know in the comments section below.

Are you curious about the Divine Feminine and how it might help you heal from food and body image issues? Then join me for my next free teleclass: Using The Secrets Of The Divine Feminine To Heal From Food And Body Image Issues. It's coming up this week! Click here to register.

© Golda Poretsky 2011

The Power of "Let's Do This." originally appeared on on April 4, 2011.

A Simple Ode

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Yesterday, a client sent me this painting/poem before her session with me.  With her permission, I'm sharing it with you now.  All I had asked her to do was write an ode to her belly.  I've seen clients shirk this assignment or tell me it's not that good and then read me poems worthy of the poet laureate.  But for some reason, this one bowled me over.

You see, when a woman is turned on to herself and who she is, a simple assignment from her coach can become a thing of beauty. Her connection to the Goddess/ the Divine Feminine comes through her and saturates the world around her.

For years, I've been using techniques connected with the Divine Feminine to support my clients in healing from food and body image issues, but I hadn't really shared those techniques with all of you until now.

So if you're interested in how the Divine Feminine can affect your relationship with food and your body (and so much more), I invite you to sign up for my next free teleclass: Using The Secrets Of The Divine Feminine To Make Peace With Food & Your Body. It will be held on Thursday, April 7th at 8PM Eastern, but everyone who registers will get free access to the recording.

To register for free, click here.

I can't wait to "see" you in class.

A Simple Ode originally appeared on on April 1, 2011.

Using The Secrets Of The Divine Feminine To Make Peace With Food & Your Body (FREE TELECLASS)

What is it that you truly desire?

That's not a question you get asked often, is it?  And really, it's a damn shame.

As women, we're constantly trying to fit ourselves into someone else's idea of what we should be.  We obsess over food to try to be thinner and obsess over our bodies because we're not "supposed to be" this size.  We're too loud, or too quiet, too bossy or too permissive, too sexy or not sexy enough, too much or not enough.

We keep trying to win a game that has us set up to lose.

But there is another way to live in our society and stop playing that game.  It takes courage, but I know that you have it to spare.  It means connecting with your divine feminine essence, so that you can know, in your heart of hearts, that who you are, how you look and the way you take up space is not only perfect just as it is, it is needed in the world.

In this 60-minute teleclass, Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. (founder of Body Love Wellness and leading authority on Health At Every Size) will share her top techniques for connecting with your divine feminine essence in order to begin to heal from the pain and shame of body hatred and disordered eating.  These are the same ones she shares with her private coaching clients.

You'll walk away from this call with Golda's surprisingly powerful, yet simple techniques for connecting with your divine feminine essence in order to really make peace with food and your body.

Here's what you'll learn:

The biggest mistake that women make in trying to heal from food and body image issues
Why it's dangerous to ignore the divine feminine within you
Easy ways to start loving parts of your body that you dislike now
Top tips  reconnect with your "woman's intuition"
How to eat like a goddess and change your relationship with food for good.
And so much more!

Whether you're a student of the divine feminine or not, you'll get at least 3 BIG insights into how connecting with the divine feminine can heal your relationship with food and your body for good!


Note: Everyone who registers will receive a link to listen to the recording of the class, so you should still register if you can't make it live!

Just enter your info in the boxes below, and you'll receive the complete call details via email.

Yes, Golda, please sign me up for this exciting FREE 60-Minute Teleclass on "Using The Secrets Of The Divine Feminine To Make Peace With Food & Your Body" on Thursday, April 7th at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific.
Send me the details at my email address below.

Name

Email

Please note, upon registration, you will also receive a complimentary subscription to the Body Love Wellness Newsletter. We will not share, rent or sell your information to any other organization.

Using The Secrets Of The Divine Feminine To Make Peace With Food & Your Body (FREE TELECLASS) originally appeared on on March 31, 2011.

Good Health And Good Luck

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

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Mazel Tov Means "Good Luck" in Yiddish and These Looked Tasty, Hence, I Used This Image

Listen to the podcast here:

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I have a question for you.  How much of your health is really just luck?

I found myself asking myself this question recently when my skin broke out all of a sudden and all over my face.  I figured it was an allergic reaction to something, but I couldn't figure out what it might be.  Then I started to think it might be the beginnings of acne rosacea, which runs in my family.

Even though I do positive body image work for a living, I wasn't exactly excited to have the worst acne I had ever had in my life.

I was attending a conference that weekend, which meant that I was pretty much eating whatever the other conference attendees were eating, so I couldn't make any major food changes without an effort that I wasn't really willing to make.  I took some milk thistle (a gentle, liver supporting herb) in case my body was trying to deal with a toxin and in case this was the start of rosacea.  I upped other vitamin supplements, including a B complex, C, grape seed extract, and whatever other ones may have come to my attention at that point.  I used a more intense face wash than I usually use, which seemed to only make it worse.  I dabbed my skin with witch hazel to keep it clean, which didn't seem to do anything. And I wore more makeup than usual.  That's about it.

A few days later, the new acne and redness was pretty much gone.  Hooray for milk thistle!

Or was it the extra anti-oxidants?  Or was it sleep?  Or was I stressed out about something and the stress was now gone?  Or was it genes?  Or was it a particular type of pollen whose levels had gone down?  Or was it…

In other words, I have no idea why this skin issue went away.  I don't know if it was one of the gazillion things that I did, or a bunch of them, or none of them at all.

I think in our culture, when someone is sick, we often look for something to blame. Fat people know this all to well.  Everything from achy joints, to colds, to cancer gets blamed on fat.  We hear things like, "Of course she got diabetes, she was fat!"  Or, "Of course he had a heart attack. He eats badly!"  But the reality is, thin people also get diabetes.  The reality is, fat people who get diabetes may be fat because of the diabetes, rather than the other way around.  The reality is, plenty of people who eat healthfully have heart problems and plenty of people who eat poorly never have a heart attack.

We live in a culture of cause and effect.  We live in a culture of logic, of if-then statements.  If you're this, then this happens.

But in reality, cause and effect are rarely clear in any circumstance.  A thousand causes, in a chain or simultaneously, could lead to a single effect.

Here's what I think.  I think we should do what we can to support our healing, but that we shouldn't blame ourselves when luck (i.e., money, genetics, and a gazillion other things we might not be able to account for) isn't on our side. Blame is really counterproductive.  It makes you feel bad and guilty, which just creates more stress. I think we should love our bodies, and do our best to feed ourselves nourishing foods and move joyously.  I think we should all have access to good, non-judgmental health care, alternative and not, when we want it (this part is also hard to control, for many of us).

So what are you still blaming yourself for? Let me know in the comments section below.

Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining and sign up for her newsletter!

© Golda Poretsky 2011

Good Health And Good Luck originally appeared on on March 28, 2011.

Nobody Wins On "Shedding For The Wedding"

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast here:

 

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As Sara Rue knows, you're never too thin to be massively airbrushed

Last week, I wrote about how euphemisms like "shedding pounds" were not only gross, they were detrimental to the mind-body connection.

So, of course, there's a new reality show that preys on the negative body image engendered by our fatphobic, weight-loss-obsessed society.  And of course, it's called Shedding For The Wedding.

Hosted by "formerly fat" Sara Rue and produced by producers of  The Biggest Loser and Pimp My Ride (I wish I were joking), this show is kind of like Bridalplasty and The Biggest Loser had a baby with low self-esteem, named it Shedding For The Wedding, and decided to get hitched.

Apparently, the couple that loses that largest percentage of body weight wins.  And what do they win?

The wedding of their dreams!!!!  Plus…
Gaining the weight back, plus more, within about 3-5 years!
A lifetime of weight cycling, putting enormous stress on their bodies!
Lowered self-esteem that is tied to the number on a scale!
Guilt and shame over their inability to keep the weight off!
A wedding album filled with pictures depicting their brief moment of thinness!
People who watched the show obsessing over the couple's weight for years!
And so much more!

In other words, other than the folks making lots of money off false information and body hatred, nobody wins on Shedding For The Wedding.

If you need a Shedding For The Wedding palate cleanser, may I refer you to the excellent Museum Of Fat Love.

Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!

© Golda Poretsky 2011

Nobody Wins On "Shedding For The Wedding" originally appeared on on March 21, 2011.

The "War On Obesity", "Shedding Pounds", And The Body/Mind Disconnect

by Golda Poretsky, HHC

http://www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast here:

 

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Al Pacino Trying To Keep His Pound Of Flesh as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice

The term "weight loss" must not have the same zing that it used to.

There's a new euphemism that diet pushers are pushing, and that euphemism is "shedding pounds."

The real kind of shedding is a totally natural process, right? Dogs shed fur. Snakes shed their skins. Even people shed skin and hair (but on a slow enough basis that it's not actually evident). But people don't "shed pounds." If you were shedding pounds of flesh or hair or skin you'd be really frightened and you would know that something was terribly wrong with you.

So why make a big deal out of a "figure of speech" as it were?

Because the words we use matter, and phrases like  "shedding pounds" are just evidence of how completely disconnected we are from our bodies.

You and your body are one thing. You are inextricably connected to your body. So how you envision it, how you treat it, and how you think about its processes will affect that connection. So it's important to think about the words that you use to talk about your body and whether those words add to that connection between body and mind or detract from it.

It makes sense that people find it normal to talk about their bodies in a disconnected manner.  When you're taught that your body is not okay just as it is, not acceptable to your family, to your peers, then your body is not a safe place.  When your body is not a safe place, it makes sense to disassociate from that body, to distinguish between "it" and "you" and to make choices about your body that can be harmful.

Similarly, rhetoric like the "war on obesity" and, even worse, the "war on childhood obesity" is so detached from the reality that obesity is not a thing that is separate from people.  There is no obesity without obese people, so what does the war on obesity really mean?  If it means that the war is with the person's obesity, but not the person, then it just serves to further this mind-body separation that so many people feel.

So what do we do when so much of the rhetoric we hear supports a disconnect between mind and body?

First, let's take back our words. Let's take extra care when we use words to talk about our bodies. Let's avoid words and phrases that make our bodies a thing that is somehow disconnected from who we are.  When we talk about our bodies, we want to do so with love and compassion, because we're talking about ourselves.

And second, let's engage in techniques and practices that connect mind and body. Practices like yoga, meditation, or a moving meditation (where you quiet your mind and engage with your sense as you go about your day) are great for reconnecting mind and body.

As always, let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Golda Poretsky, H.H.C. is a certified holistic health counselor who specializes in transforming your relationship with food and your body. Go to http://www.bodylovewellness.com/stay-in-touch/ to sign up for her newsletter and get your free download — Golda's Top Ten Tips For Divine Dining!

© Golda Poretsky 2011

The "War On Obesity", "Shedding Pounds", And The Body/Mind Disconnect originally appeared on on March 14, 2011.