Getting Back to Your Center

Good morning! Today I wanted to talk about something that came up in a recent coaching session that I thought was so huge! It's the idea of getting "back to center" to help you with staying true to yourself and true to being intuitive with all areas of your life. Getting back to center has been so huge for me with helping me to continue to push through disordered thoughts (yes, I still have those sometimes if I'm honest with you) and allowing me to stay true to what I know is true while actually putting it into practice. 

What does it mean to "get back to your center"? When I first heard that term I immediately went to some kind of yoga thing. But getting back to center is so much more than a practice you use in a yoga studio. 

Let's do a little exercise...

Close your eyes with me for a sec. Take a deep breath...inhale, then exhale. Feel your shoulders drop and relax. Let your limbs hang. Be still.Now allow yourself to think about WHO you are. Think only positive thoughts about yourself, nothing negative. Tell yourself a couple of things that you like about yourself and a couple of things that you're good at. Speak truth to yourself, while you're relaxed and in the moment. Literally imagine yourself getting back to your center, whatever that feels like for you.

For me, getting back to center feels like letting go of my physical body and focusing on my mental and spiritual self. I think about positive aspects, things that I like about myself and things that I'm grateful with myself. I, personally, think on spiritual truths that I know from reading the Bible and remind myself of who I AM on the inside instead of who I'm afraid to be on the outside. I meditate on what being healthy looks like for me, mentally, spiritually, and physically.I haven't shared too much of my faith in the past here, but faith and spirituality are so important to consider when you're trying to recover from an unhealthy relationship with food or your body. I believe that without my own relationship with God I wouldn't have made it as far as I have today with my relationship with my body.

Because your body has to have an outside purpose aside from just what you eat and how you exercise.

Speak truth.

A great way to get back to your center is through speaking truths. Oftentimes when I speak with clients who are struggling with putting intuitive eating into practice, they know the right answers. They know what they should do but just can't seem to follow through. This is where speaking truth comes into place. When you're in a difficult moment where you're feeling the pressure of returning to your "diet" self or "non-intuitive" self, speak truth to yourself.

Here's a couple of scenarios and truths you can speak out...

Scenario: I can't eat dessert tonight because I had dessert last night.

Truth: Dessert isn't a bad thing. And food isn't moral. If you're craving dessert and truly want it, allow yourself to enjoy it.

Scenario: My belly looks fat today. I should start a diet.

Truth: Starting a diet isn't going to cure your image of your stomach. Eating regularly, listening to your body and having compassion on your curves is what is going to keep you at a healthy place. 

Scenario: I have to go to the gym today because I haven't been in a week.

Truth: You don't have to go to the gym to be healthy. Find other ways to move joyfully if you're not feeling like going to the gym.

Scenario: I had a hard day at work so I deserve ice cream.

Truth: Ice cream isn't going to meet your need for rest and processing the day at work. Choose something other than food to meet your need for a peaceful evening. 

Scenario: I'm only going to be happy if I lose this weight.

Truth: Happiness is not a size. Happiness lies in your ability to find peace with your body wherever that is.

Spend time.

Getting back to center is an action you have to take, deliberately. It's not just going to happen. Some ways that I deliberately get back to center is by spending 15-20 minutes each morning reading the bible or a devotional and praying. I've found that when those lies start to set in and I start to feel that pull away from center, if I've started my day with some morning meditation I'm more able to stand firm and remind myself of my truths.

You have to be prepared for when those negative thoughts seep in your mind...because it's going to happen, undoubtedly! I'll be honest with you, I still struggle some days with body image, with not feeling like I'm doing enough, like I'm not being "healthy-enough". But starting my mornings with intentional meditation and preparation for when those thoughts do creep in has been my best action for staying strong and remember the things that matter most in life. 

Tool to help you find your center.

If you're new to the morning quiet-time idea, let me help you out! I've teamed up with some dear friends, Hannah Griffith, Christine Herbert, and Aubrey Golbek, to bring you an 8-Day Devotional called "Finding Food Freedom" that will give you daily scriptures and a paragraph to help you think of your relationship with food from a spiritual perspective. Not to mention it has some yummy breakfast recipes in it too! Click here to download your free copy.  And remember, you're never too far gone to get back to center. 

I want to hear from you!

What helps you get back to your center?Do you regularly practice having a morning quiet-time?