My Body, My Friend

Let’s talk a little now about our relationships with our body. If your “Gertrude” is like most people’s, she has a lot that is negative to say about the body.

But the Course in Miracles says the body was given to the mind as a gift – as a place for the mind to live, and as a tool for learning and growth. So, we need to respect the body and be grateful for the many things it does for us.

The brain is nourished, and able to function, because of the nutrients the body sends to it. The body takes the food we eat and breaks it down into its component parts – protein becomes amino acids, carbohydrates get broken into smaller pieces with vitamins, minerals, and fiber; fats get broken into smaller more usable portions. And these nutrients are used by the body to repair and replace your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs. What a miracle.

And the body has certain rules it follows. Rule I is survival. The body will do what ever is needed for survival. That is its first priority. When you starve, the body takes stored fat and burns it for calories to maintain itself. If it must, it cuts down on optional services – skin, hair, nails, reproduction, energy – to save calories. When you binge, it metabolizes those calories and stores them as fat. It wasn’t the body that added all this extra food, it was the mind.  But the body does what is needed to manage the situation.

And the mind often criticizes the body for not being perfect. But the mind has a lot to do with how the body works. In the next few blogs, I will talk a little bit more about how the body functions – how the body processes the calories and nutrients we eat, how the body handles “not enough”, and how the body prioritizes. I hope you will enjoy these blogs and come to understand the body better.

And now I am going back to what I did before the pandemic, only on Zoom. I’m restarting my classes and support groups. I have kept the prices as low as they were pre-pandemic, and please consider joining one or the other – or both! And if you need even more support, we are considering adding 2 or 4 more groups, just for you, if there is a need. Please call and chat with me about this.

The classes will be on Zoom, on Monday and Thursday from 3:30 to 5 pm Eastern time. Monday is the Principles of Maintaining a Strong Recovery Program (September 12 to November 14). Thursday is about “The Relapse Express” and how to avoid turning a minor mistake into a major relapse. (September 15 to November 17). You may join me for either or both, and if you need more support, please call and talk with me.

I believe in you.

Blessings to you.

Theresa