Body Freedom Exercise (2): Body Gazing

Body Freedom Exercises
Exercises To Do On Your Own
by Al Link and Pala Copeland

Body Gazing

The commercial media encourage you to see your body as an ongoing renovation project—one that will never be completed and can never quite conform to the ideal type, no matter what you do. As a result, too many people are unhappy with their bodies, seeing them as too short or tall, too fat or thin, and the wrong color, size, or shape. You might not like your skin, feet, hands, fingers, nose, ears, lips, buttocks, legs, stomach, biceps, breasts, penis, or vagina. You might think there are always parts of your body that need improvement. Seeing yourself this way is not only silly but also tragic, because shame and embarrassment impede surrendering sensually, sexually, and passionately to your lover.

This simple body gazing exercise can help you recognize the beauty of your natural body just as it is without any repairs, additions, or subtractions. It will help you know that your body, the temple of your soul, is perfect as it is. It is your gift from the Creator. Instead of trying to make over your body into something else, why not discover what wonderful things you can do with it?

Time for Exercise: five to 30 minutes
Properties Required: full length and/or hand-held mirror

Steps:

Part One:

1. Select a part of your body that you are pleased with. For example, you might consider that you have great legs, beautiful eyes, or a lovely mouth.
2. Spend several minutes gazing at that part of your body. Notice the lines, shapes, curves, textures, colors, or other features.
3. Close your eyes and call up the image of that body part in your imagination.
4. Manipulate the image in your imagination, viewing it from different angles, e.g., from above, below, off to the right or left.
5. Move the image close to your mind’s eye, then push it away.
6. See the image in color, then in black and white.
7. Make the image very large and then very small.
8. Notice how each of those changes makes you feel about that body part.

Part Two:

1. Select a part of your body that you are critically judgmental about. For example, you might think your belly is too flabby, your hips are too wide, or your thighs are too skinny.
2. Spend several minutes gazing at that part of your body. Notice the lines, shapes, curves, textures, colors, or other features.
3. Close your eyes and call up the image of that body part in your imagination.
4. Manipulate the image in your imagination, viewing it from different angles, e.g., from above, below, off to the right or left.
5. Move the image close to your mind’s eye, and then push it away.
6. See the image in color, then in black and white.
7. Make the image very large and then very small.
8. Notice how each of those changes makes you feel about that body part.

Comments:

How you see yourself in your mind’s eye affects how you feel about your body. Here are some common possibilities. Feelings are less intense when you push the image of your body part far away so it becomes very small, view it as a still shot, see it in black and white, and move the image far off to the right, left, up or down in your field of vision. Feelings are more intense when you bring the image close up so it becomes large, view it as a moving picture, see it in full color, and change your point of view.

Experiment with changing the images to learn what diminishes and increases intensity as you visualize your body parts. Once you have learned how this process works for you, use the techniques that diminish intensity when thinking about the body parts you don’t like, and use the techniques that increase intensity when thinking about the body parts you do like. Gradually your negative feelings about particular body parts will diminish.