.
…or as I also like to call it, painful but necessary. Specifically, I’m referring to inner-healing and salving past wounds, whether they occurred yesterday or 30 years ago.
Sometimes, I’ll find an e-mail in my inbox desperately seeking a Pep-Talk. Just about always, the urgency centers around wanting to be rid of excess weight, and it always stirs mixed emotions in me from the past. I’ve been in the seeking position many times and each time I reached out for a jolt of inspiration, I’d feel hopeful for about 3 hours, then lapse back to where I was. And where I was, though support from others is crucial, could only be remedied by me and my actions. And nope, I’m not referring to weight-loss solutions.
It’s a fallacy then I can give someone a Pep Talk and turn them around, but the fact that they WANT one is a beginning. One of the many reasons Pep Talks don’t work is they skirt root issues. Far more effective is delving into one of the eight limbs of Yoga, known as Self-Inquiry, to ask yourself some probing, yet compassionate, questions:
What am I trying to deflect from by focusing on my weight?
Whom do I resent and why?
Are there areas in my life where I don’t feel I can speak freely?
Do I let myself cry when I feel the emotions surging, or do I shut myself down?
Who is currently mistreating me, or doesn’t bring the respect that I know I deserve?
Am I paid fairly for the work I do?
Was I quick to believe all the bad stuff about myself, and, do I hate parts of myself because of it?
Am I angry at myself for not standing up to people with their own unhealthy agendas? You know the type: the passive-aggressive friend who asks a question that’s really a dig so well-placed, it stings for days afterwards; or a family member who makes a remark about a food choice.
Get the picture?
It’s no wonder why so many of us willingly default to obsessing on weight, clothing size, muscle mass, and the merits of ketosis. The reason is simple: it’s less freaking painful!
Obviously, fitness and physical well-being are important, but if the above emotional issues have not been addressed at all, it’s a losing battle. And also know that just because you are broken at the present time doesn’t mean you are permanently out of commission. The process, I’ll be honest, it’s a long one, but what else do we have but time? And wouldn’t you rather start winning the battle right in the present moment? You can if you just agree to step into that private chamber of your heart, and compassionately, gently begin the process of asking..
