The Body Temple

 "How's the body temple?" is a phrase I use from time to time to check in with myself about how I am feeling and if I am treating my physical self well. You see, I have to confess that there are times when I stay up too late, I drink too much wine, or I suddenly have a craving for some ridiculous junk food and move way past the point of any reasonable serving or portion size. There have been so many times when I have taken the gift of my physical body for granted and never really thought much about my on again/off again efforts to treat my body well.

What does it mean to treat your body like a temple anyway? If a temple is defined as a holy place where people show up, then I would guess that the body temple would be a place of a bit of mystery, awe and reverence. The body would be the space that you occupy on this earth and a representation of how you show up to others. I can honestly say that I don't usually spend much if any time being "in awe" of my body. I can recall a couple of instances though. When each of my sons were born, I spent several months breastfeeding them. For whatever reason, I didn't get too caught up in awe and wonder during my actual pregnancies. I think pregnancy for me just felt more like an exhilarating ride of changing shape and hormones. But for some reason, the fact that my body was able to feed and nourish another human being was indeed full of mystery, awe, and wonder. I remember just thinking it was so cool that I could walk around and go about my day and at the same time, have perfect food at the ready anytime for my baby. Amazing.

But I didn't start this post with the idea of writing about breastfeeding, but rather to consider why it is that we are so darned distracted so much of the time and when we are, how we end up mindlessly falling into habits and behaviors that are far from healthy for us. If our bodies are to be a temple, then they need to be treated in the same way we would treat an aging and glorious cathedral. We'd be regularly dusting, sweeping, and polishing and taking time to repair items as they got damaged or worn. And lets face it, temples start to really look their best after a bit of wear and use, after they have stood the test of time and reflect years of memories and events.

So maybe we need to see our bodies as the temples that they are. Beautifully and wonderfully made. Worthy of our deep respect and care. Given daily attention and always lovingly revered. Consider all the things you do to be healthy; whether it is food, movement, rest, or daily cleansing. Pick one of them and decide to be mindful and reverent about it. Suddenly, a fresh apple seems more appealing and worthy of the body than some Cheetos. A walk outdoors makes more sense than staring at the TV.  The act of washing your face can be a gesture of care and tenderness.

Make no mistake, I am not implying that we should seek some superficial level of beauty. Instead, I hope we all can find better health and start treating ourselves with the respect and care we deserve. When we work from that place, we see beauty and strength in our bodies. We see them as the temple that they truly are. Ask yourself: How's the body temple?