How Pregnancy Helped Me to Honor My Body
— EPISODE 42 —
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Pregnancy has changed A LOT for me… One of the biggest things pregnancy has transformed is my relationship with my body.
In this solo episode of Unconditionally Worthy, I’m talking about my pregnancy journey and shedding light on how pregnancy helped me to honor my body on a deeper level.
My first trimester was rough, to say the least. I was rocked by morning sickness and the need to take more naps than I did when I was a toddler. I canceled plans and even canceled a trip because I was just not up for it! This really forced me to surrender to what my body needed.
I’m usually very high-energy and super active with a lot going on, but during my first trimester, I wasn’t! I moved into a period of calm, stillness, and slowness. And I had to embrace that. I stopped working on the weekends, which was a prior goal of mine. Instead, I spent my weekends sitting on the couch, napping, and watching TV. I’m grateful I was able to slow down, allow myself to leave tasks undone on my to-do list, and prioritize resting and creating this baby.
It was so interesting to feel relaxed, calm, still, and at ease. Part of that was my body adjusting to pregnancy, but my lack of resistance was an immensely important factor. I could have resisted the tiredness and not taken naps when I needed them, but I surrendered to it. This period of pregnancy has ushered me into a deep state of being, which is what I talk about here on Unconditionally Worthy.
How do you exist in the world? How do you connect to the part of you that is beyond what you do and what you produce? Connecting to that part of me has been so powerful. It has guided me into the practice of honoring my body more deeply. Honoring your body is moving into a relationship with your body based on listening, giving your body what it needs, and having gratitude for it.
As I moved beyond my first trimester, my hunger became ravenous and it wouldn’t quiet down until I fed it. Is this foreshadowing? Bottom line: It doesn’t work to ignore these needs, so I honor them.
I’ve never been so in awe of my body. My body knows what to do to grow this little baby girl without me telling it to. Watching my body transform has helped me be more grateful than ever for everything it can do.
So often, as women, people of color, or gender non-conforming folks, we develop relationships with our bodies that are about changing our bodies. We focus on how we look and how other people see us. In this process, we get disconnected from how we feel in our bodies. We become objectified by society and in turn, we objectify ourselves.
It can be so powerful to become grounded in and grateful for our bodies instead of thinking about how they can be different.
If you’re not pregnant right now, that’s fine! There are lessons in this for all of us. Consider the following questions…
How can I begin to honor my body more deeply?
How can I begin to show my body gratitude for how it carries me through the world each and every day?
How would it feel to shift to a space of gratitude and love for my body?
Tune into your body, get in touch with your needs, and honor them. Start with small steps. Instead of giving yourself another cup of coffee when you’re tired, drink a glass of water with lemon, do a few jumping jacks, or go outside and get some fresh air. Whatever comes to mind, whatever works for you, do that! Do a body scan and notice how you’re feeling. The feelings you notice during a body scan can give you a lot of information about what your body needs. If you feel tension, you probably need to relax a bit or release some pent-up emotions. If you feel exhausted, chances are you need to create space for rest and recovery.
If this journey of honoring your body is something you would like help and support with, I invite you to enroll in my Date Yourself course. It’s an online, self-paced course that’s all about building a healthy relationship with yourself. One of the core pillars of having a healthy relationship with yourself is honoring your body and taking good care of yourself.
What is one shift you can make this week to honor your body?
Watch the full video interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MeA33wdOWxs
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