I'm sure that not many people out there have escaped the New Year weight loss marketing that began shortly before Christmas. The gist of all this marketing is that by losing weight right now, you will reveal a "new you" in the New Year. As an Ayurvedic practitioner, I take my weight loss cues from nature. Look outside. Are the squirrels and crows getting skinny? No. They are plump as heck and it's because they need that fat to survive this crazy, unpredictable winter. Fat gets a bad reputation, but it's what insulates our nervous system and keeps us mentally grounded during winter. Fat composes 2/3 of our brain. By depriving our bodies of fat during winter, we create a cycle of deprivation in the body. Over time, this deprivation leads to a wide variety of nervous system disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.
I would like to propose an alternative version of the "new you" concept. Rather than deluding ourselves by thinking that we can solve all of our self-esteem problems with weight loss, we can decide to commit ourselves to finding our power in the New Year. We don't need to become "new" people. We need to discover the amazing qualities that lie within us already. Whatever your weight, your body is suited to accomplish the unique purpose for which you came into this world. No one else can accomplish your purpose. In Ayurveda, this concept is called "dharma", or "duty". Each one of us has a distinct combination of the elements manifested in our body and mind. It is that unique combination of elements that gives us each our abilities. And whatever we think our flaws are, those flaws are the mirror image of our strengths. So this year, instead of punishing your body with the latest fad diet, choose to make the "new you" the one who refuses to give into the hype. Refuse to believe that fitting into a smaller size of anything defines your
worth. Life should be so much more than a constant quest to achieve a mythical body ideal.
Stand in your power and choose instead to look for the daily opportunities you have to bring good into the world. Seek your purpose and you will find it.
I would like to propose an alternative version of the "new you" concept. Rather than deluding ourselves by thinking that we can solve all of our self-esteem problems with weight loss, we can decide to commit ourselves to finding our power in the New Year. We don't need to become "new" people. We need to discover the amazing qualities that lie within us already. Whatever your weight, your body is suited to accomplish the unique purpose for which you came into this world. No one else can accomplish your purpose. In Ayurveda, this concept is called "dharma", or "duty". Each one of us has a distinct combination of the elements manifested in our body and mind. It is that unique combination of elements that gives us each our abilities. And whatever we think our flaws are, those flaws are the mirror image of our strengths. So this year, instead of punishing your body with the latest fad diet, choose to make the "new you" the one who refuses to give into the hype. Refuse to believe that fitting into a smaller size of anything defines your
worth. Life should be so much more than a constant quest to achieve a mythical body ideal.
Stand in your power and choose instead to look for the daily opportunities you have to bring good into the world. Seek your purpose and you will find it.