One of the teachings I learned during my Eating Psychology coach certification was that how we do food is how we do everything. I even spoke about this recently on a Facebook live in the Rise Facebook group. 

And even though I say this all the time, the essence of what it means sunk in at a deeper level this weekend.

Sometimes I still fall into the trap of thinking that if my body doesn't feel very good - there must be something with food or movement that I am not addressing.

This is that old black and white, compartmentalized, right and wrong thinking that we are so programmed to believe. 

And then I will realize that I am stressed out about something else - maybe one of my kids, maybe my business, maybe all the snow in February in New England.

But stress is stress.

Whether you are feeling stress about your body or stress in your life, it's still running through your system. Our food and body is not a different topic than our business or our relationships.  We have the same body through all our experiences.

And let me define "stress" a bit. I have a great schedule and I work for myself. My kids are older, my husband is amazing and supportive and I have everything I need. If you asked me if I was stressed I would say no. 

But it doesn't mean there aren't things I want to accomplish or change and sometimes we don't realize the stress we are living in when we focus on what we don't have and live in the energy of lack. 

So even though I am eager to explore new possibilities, sometimes I also feel the resistance of not being where I want to be yet. It's rather subtle, but it's still an energy of "not good enough", "not there yet" and "something's wrong" even when the intention is to improve or up-level something in life.

I could be choosing nourishing foods, getting rest and moving my body - but if there are other areas where the energy is stuck, it can create a feeling of unease or illness in the body.

This is the whole idea behind mind-body medicine and yet sometimes it kind of hits you over the head.

You might be sitting there thinking, why is it that I'm eating foods with nutrition and yet I still feel so gross?

Or you might be thinking, why aren't I eating more nourishing foods when I know they make me feel good?  You might be grabbing for the comfort food for a very good reason.  Unless we look at what that is, it's going to be difficult to make a different choice.

I say these things all the time, and yet I still forget all the time and have to remember. (They say you teach what you need to learn and this is SO TRUE!)

And that is what this work is all about - constantly remembering the truth of who you are (magnificent!)and what is possible for you (everything!). 

So when you don't feel good in your body if it wasn't about your body, what might it be about? Where else might you be holding tension and resistance in your life?

Your job? Your relationships? Your finances?

Whatever is bothering you in these areas is going to be impacting how you feel in your body.

Whether you can pinpoint the exact place of discomfort or not, luckily, the solution is the same.

First, accept "what is" (i.e. how you feel even if you don't know why) unconditionally and without judgment. Then, meet yourself with grace, compassion, love, and forgiveness. No matter what is going on.

This might look like this: "Even though I don't know what I'm doing at work and it feels very uncomfortable, I still love and accept myself unconditionally."

Or, "even though my relationships are not as satisfying as I wish they were, I still love and accept myself unconditionally."

Or, "even though I don't always feel like I'm making the best choices for myself, I still love and accept myself unconditionally."

Acceptance, self- love and compassion are always the places to start, no matter what is bothering us. Then, when we feel a little better (because we aren't judging or beating ourselves up) we will have more access to ideas and solutions that will help us with what we think our problem is.

Last week I ran across a quote from Ram Dass "The world is perfect as it is, even our desire to change it." That really sums up this reminder for me to accept what is without judgment. 

Meanwhile, all that time we spend worrying about what to eat and whether we are exercising enough is time we can take back and use for more pleasurable pursuits which will raise our energy and vibration even higher and support us even more.

For several months now, I realize I sort of had a division in my head - my body is one issue and my business is another and my relationships are another etc. But how we do one thing is how we do everything.

How we are BEING is more important than what we are DOING. If I am BEING resistance, fear, lack or stress in one area, it's going to show up in my body - no matter what I think I'm doing for my body. 

If I am living the energy of "something is wrong and I wish it were different", all my body knows is "something is wrong" and that's what it's going to reflect back. 

We are all incredibly powerful creators and we are constantly creating our own experience day to day and minute to minute with the thoughts we think and the beliefs we hold.

Your thoughts and feelings are creating your body - whether those thoughts are about your body or not.

So if your body doesn't feel good, it's not time to double down on judging it and trying to control it or fix it.  It might be time to explore what else is going on and how can we support our bodies by understanding our thoughts and emotions, not by vowing to eat kale or workout when we don't want to. 

I don't know about you, but this is what I needed to remember today.