This morning I thought of a great analogy between a popular book and working on your relationship with food and body.  I'll probably look back and realize I said something similar a year ago but that in itself brings up another good point. 

During this work, we will often revisit the same issues, concepts, and feelings that we may have already addressed in the past. It doesn't mean you are taking a step backward, you can never take a step backward. 

You are never the same person that you were when you began. You have learned too much and come too far.  When the same issues come up, you will be seeing them from a slightly different perspective and maybe there is something more there for you to learn or let go of. We are always learning, growing and shedding old layers of beliefs. 

Which brings me to the analogy that came to mind this morning. Have you ever read the Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo?  If you haven't, it's a pretty interesting little book that talks about how to bring more joy into your life when it comes to your belongings. 

Well, our work with food is the same process. 

We want to discover, how can we bring more joy into our lives. This time we are going to approach it by looking at our beliefs and our feelings and our relationship with food instead of our possessions. 

Marie says that in order to clear out our clutter, first, we have to take everything out of the drawers and off the shelves and out of the closets and dump it all on the floor in a giant pile. 

In a way, we will do that too when we work with food and body.  To the extent that it feels helpful, we are going to pull out of the depths, all the beliefs and thoughts, and feelings that you have amassed and created for yourself over time that have brought you to where you are today.  

Then, we are going to sift through that pile and we are going to hold up each thought, feeling or belief and ask ourselves, does this bring me joy? Does this make me feel good? Does this validate my worth? Does this make me feel like the creative, energetic and vibrant person I want to be? Does this make me feel loved? 

If the thought, emotion or belief does not bring us to a place of joy, peace, and pleasure - throw it out! Get rid of it! Toss it to the curb! 

Marie found that as people let go of the weight of all these belongings that did not bring joy, people found themselves to feel lighter and freer and full of more vitality and energy (it was life-changing!).  

The same thing happens when we let go of beliefs that are cluttering up our minds and emotions that are stuck in our bodies. We feel freer and lighter and have more energy and are more excited by the possibilities that surround us in the world. 

So as the new year approaches, this is a perfect time to reflect. What beliefs are you currently holding about food and your body? How do they make you feel? 

What emotions feel stuck and aren't moving? What would it be like to let go of them?  This doesn't mean push away or resist - it means to feel,  appreciate and release these emotions. 

After you clear the decks, you are bound to feel better in your body even if your body hasn't changed at all and you are still eating the same way you always ate (because I may have mentioned on one or two occasions that how we feel in our bodies is not only about the food!) 

It's not always new exercise routines or more vegetables that we need to feel better in our physical bodies, it's the release that comes mentally, emotionally, and spiritually when we let go of old patterns of thought and ideas that have only been serving to hold us down. 

Unfortunately, most people approach both our bodies and our possessions from the outside-in perspective and think that when we have the right possessions (house, car, clothing, purse, partner) or the right body (whatever that is) or do the right things (as determined by someone else) then we will feel good in our bodies and in our lives. 

But that is like re-shingling the outside of your house because the roof is leaking. It's not going to stop what you have been experiencing, or if it does, it will be fleeting and temporary and then when it rains again, you will have all the same issues coming back and then some. 

If you feel like giving this a try - start by listing out some of the beliefs that you have about your body and your life. Then take each one, one by one.  Does each belief make you feel cherished and safe? If not - you know what to do. 

Need help? I'm here for you in 2020 so we can clean our mental, emotional and spiritual houses together! In the meantime, I love this workbook for exploring where I have been over the past year and where I want to go. If you are looking for something that will help you reflect and plan ahead, it's one of my favorites. 

Just make sure that none of your goals in the new year come from fear, guilt or shoulds! 

Happy 2020!!