“The human body is the best work of art.”—Jess C. Scott
It’s helpful and healing to think of our bodies as ongoing works of art. We are all creators of the flesh that carries us through life. We can choose to further refine the natural beauty of our bodies through graceful movement, toning exercise and the infusion of energizing breath. We can be proud of our creative play—and delight in our ever-changing shape and form.
All too often though, our recovery is bogged down by shame and self-disgust at what we perceive as our ugly bodies. We despair at the state of our physical beings and would prefer to hide rather than display our “goods”. This can be a risky, slippery slope for those of us in recovery. A self-defeating cycle of revulsion can tempt us to medicate our distress. An attitude shift of acceptance can change all of this in a heartbeat. Let’s take the art work we have in front of us—and today take a step to making it stronger and more appealing. Let movement and breath be our medicine…
A fine body needs a fine pair of legs to present itself on and to move around with confidence. Let’s work on those all-important pistons today—with the Full Bodyweight Squat!
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Cross your arms over your chest and squat down as low as you can, preferably below parallel and eventually with your thighs touching your calves. Keep your knees from bowing in by aligning them with your feet. Keep your back as straight as possible. Come back up and lock out your legs and hips completely. Squeeze the muscles in your legs as tightly as possible for a second, relax and repeat the squat. Inhale and hold the breath as you descend. Exhale as you ascend. Do ten repetitions—and feel the energizing rush to boot!
I am proud to be recreating my body, each day anew, as an ongoing work of art.