How’s your relationship with your body?
When was the last time you honored it?
I ask these because I remember my conversation with award-winning author of Love Notes to My Body, Nicole Ayers. She was a guest in the Menopause Movement podcast last August 11th, and she asked, “How many of us has the urge to pee and be like, ‘Oh, I’ve just got to finish washing these dishes?'”
That question hit home to me so much.
Because what if I just went when I needed to?
As a surgeon, it was always a wrong thing to scrub out of an operation to go to the bathroom, but something clicked in me about 5 or 7 years into my practice and I said, “I’m gonna pee when I need to pee and it’s okay.”
Then I also realized that it’s okay to drink a lot of water and scrub out if I have to.
It’s okay to choose yourself too.
Drink water when your throat is dry.
Eat something when you’re hungry.
Rest when you feel tired.
Because your body is your companion.
Awareness is the first step to healing your body.
I talk more about that in today’s episode of The Best of The Menopause Movement Podcast with self-love sage and author Nicole C. Ayers.
During the podcast, we talk about Nicole’s journey to self-love PLUS:
– Meditation as a tool for awareness
– How things are and how we get to self-loathing
– The legacy of thought we can pass on to our children
– The role of journaling in self-expression and change
– Processing grief about our bodies
– Creating a relationship with your body
– Power of gratitude
– How accepting your body can be an act of rebellion
And stay to the end to find out the 3 tools you can use to cultivate a kinder and gentler relationship with your body.
Resources:
• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones https://www.menopausemovement.com/podcast
• Connect with me on Instagram @drmichellegordon
• Follow me on Facebook
• Join The Menopause Movement private group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopausemovement
• Visit Nicole Ayers’ website
Books mentioned in this episode:
• Love Notes to My Body (https://amzn.to/3Cgebse)
• Love Letters to My Body: Writing My Way to Self-Love (https://amzn.to/2WK3opU)
• Writing Your Way to (Self-)Love: A Guided Journal to Help You Love Your Body, One Part at a Time (https://amzn.to/3lmqCNc)
Amazon pays me a small fee when you buy using these links.
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
[0:00] Introduction
[6:52] How Nicole got into self-love as a calling or passion
[9:37] Meditation as a vehicle for observation
[11:54] Where Nicole’s negative thoughts came from
[15:27] Awareness is the first step to healing your relationship with your body
[16:48] The legacy part and how Nicole changes the programming she grew up with
[21:29] Acceptance of where we are
[22:42] The importance of community
[23:49] Journaling
[31:32] If you want joy in your life, it’s gratitude
[35:59] How choosing to accept your body is an act of rebellion
[41:45] Three tools to cultivate a kinder, gentler relationship with your body
[47:13] This is a journey, not an end point
About the Guest:
Self-love sage and author Nicole C. Ayers is a dynamic and engaging speaker who’s not afraid to get vulnerable and real about her personal journey to love herself. She’s a strong voice for female empowerment and the freedom it brings.
Nicole is the award-winning author of Love Notes to My Body, which was recognized as one of 2020’s best life-changing books, and its two body-positive companion books.