Who’s always with you, never leaves your side, is inextricably linked to you wherever you go, however you feel, like it or not? Your body. It is your faithful dog, waiting on your every move and whim to do your bidding. So why is it so many of us have such a fraught/abusive relationship with this devoted and obedient spacesuit? Lately I’ve been experiencing quite a bit of pain in my severely compromised neck and back and I become irate with it, as if it has betrayed me, or is holding me back from having fun. Or I look in the mirror and am aghast at the bits and pieces that are looking older and losing the taughtness of youth. My body is doing the best it can to serve me, has kept me alive and well for many many years now, and has been especially patient with my outrageous demands. So what can I do to show my gratitude instead of acting like an entitled child who can’t accept limits? Well, for starters I could be compassionate towards her and appreciate being carried this far. She has given me my beloved child, and has won the DWTS mirrorball for me, she happily climbs up the pole at my behest, and provides me with enough endorphins to beat any high made by a pharmacist. Since having my child, I often think “Would I treat my daughter the way I treat myself? Would I criticize her body parts, mercilessly holding them up to some impossible standard?” Never. So why not model for her a little self acceptance and be kind to myself, and my body. One of the reasons I am so crazy about my S Factor class is that there are no mirrors, it is dimly lit and I give my body permission to play and move however she needs to without expectations or judgement. There is just music, and a bunch of women I don’t know outside of class but who’s feminine energy comes in every shape size and are all equally divine, scantily clad crawling on the floor, sliding up and down poles, and for those two hours I am amazed at the abundance of joy my body/soul can produce, and my neck has forgotten that it hurts.