A Selflove Summer
Sipping more chai (it’s become a craving) and reflecting on my Selflove Summer, I have a daily, weekly, yearly, lifely battle with my body that I’d like to explore. Before my YTT, I felt equal parts too much ‘weight’ and not enough ‘ability’. The progress I’ve made in my self confidence since is realising that the only barrier to entry for anything I set my sights on doing is in my mind.
Hypothyroid (under active) Syndrome is a hard one to process when you’re a millennial who is approaching selflove full on, but with the echoes of ingrained diet cultures and pressures to take up less space. While my mind and spirit crave/want/seek out movement, my thyroid takes a lot more stimulation to do its job in regulating my metabolism and helping me to maintain an equilibrium, with not only weight, but energy and motivation to move and nourish my body well. Anxiety? Check. Bouts of Depression? Check. All, I’m told, expected with hypothyroid syndrome.
At this point of the summer, on one of my many lists of goals, Non Neogtiables and lists of accomplishments was to feel the happiest and healthiest I’ve been by my 32nd spin around the sun. As I typed this goal out, way back in the Spring, I had an ideal of what this would look like (of course I did!).
Sitting here weeks before said birthday, looking nothing like I once ‘hoped’ I would at this point in the year, even this point in life, I feel drawn towards ditching the weight(!) of losing weight as a goal, and with my health very much in mind, shifting that aesthetic goal to become a bi-product of the bigger goal, to feel my healthiest and happiest because of the rituals adopted, habits rewired and natural love of swimming, running and yoga, because I truly do love it all.
This body has carried me through every hilly run, bracing swim and challenging yoga class. It’s allowed me to develop so much in these disciplines to be now sharing my love of yoga with others, teaching people of all ages and being inspired by their call to take care of themselves too. I learn more than I teach, and I love that!
So I will move more, rise earlier(it’s not as bad as it sounds), fuel my body, take care of it, and promise to listen when it whispers before it shouts at me about an injury or fatigue. Which might sound Basic. But to me is revolutionary from the previous girl who would be punishing the body I’m living in now.
Understanding, compassion, true selflove lived on and off the Instagram grid.
Join me in class soon, or reach out about your own journey with self love!