Beware of sandbags and something a little personal

Happy Sunday Funday, everyone!

I'm spending my morning observing a DVRT (Dynamic Variable Resistance Training) certification class at Body Space Fitness, the gym where I'm interning. It's Day 2, and my mind is blown! Josh Henkin, the cert program creator, is a force to be reckoned with! His knowledge knows no limits! I hit the gym early this morning to give some of the exercises a try and damn, they kicked my butt!

Case in point:

I cleaned the sandbag a little too close to my face and busted my chin :-) #battlescars

So what are YOU up to this lovely Sunday?! I'm headed out early to catch a free yoga class at Pure Yoga East and then I plan to settle onto the couch for the Oscars. The red carpet is my fave :-)

In the mean time, I wanted to share something with you that I wrote recently about body image. It's deeply personal, and my hope is that it speaks to you and reminds you to give yourself a little extra love. You deserve it.

"This morning, before I stepped out of the shower, I made a conscious decision. Not about what I was going to wear, what I would eat for breakfast, nor about what I would pack for lunch. I made a conscious decision to perform an act of self-love, an act of body appreciation.

I looked down and observed by lower abdomen; I reached over and wiped the excess water from each upper arm; I checked out my legs and wiggled my toes. I exhaled the feelings of anxiety that generally accompany this type of intimacy with my own body. I took a moment to truly appreciate my body for what is can do rather than for what it looks or doesn't look like.

To be comfortable this up-close-and-personal with my body is not something that's come easily. For many years, I avoided my reflection whenever I changed clothes; I covered up in front of people with whom I was intimate; I couldn't even bear to put lotion on because running my hands over my own body embarrassed me so much! Every roll on my tummy disgusted me and every glimpse I got of my cellulite made me feel helplessly inadequate. I was a victim of my own distorted perceptions of what society told me I was "supposed" to look like.

I lived in a haze of shame, and those feelings manifested themselves in many poor decisions. My body shame destroyed any self confidence that I had to the point that I made choices that I regret. And the repercussions of those choices still sting.

I don't feign that losing physical weight and discovering my passion--health and wellness--cured me of all my body image hang-ups and self esteem issues. I struggle with these feelings everyday and probably always will to a certain degree. What these discoveries have done for me have reinforced what I doubted for so long: I am worthy of love, compassion, and happiness. What I strive to remember everyday is that not only do I deserve those things from my family, friends and lovers, but I deserve them from myself.

I believe that the single most significant act we can do is self-love. Self-love is not a noun; it's a verb. And like any act, it needs to be practiced in order for us to get better at it. You can become a self-love expert; you just need to be a consistent practitioner.

So let's challenge ourselves. Let's love ourselves completely, unreservedly, unabashedly. Let's not think of it as selfish, but as selfless because this practice allows us to truly fall in love with the world and serve it with an open heart."

Have an AMAZING week, everyone, and self-love you!