The body is the temple of our soul. It does a great job for us, even though we very often take it for granted.

As I write in my book The Power of Women's Thought, for centuries women have structured their identity around their physical appearance, so it is not surprising that many of us still feel insecure or not loving their bodies or totally dependent on the judgment of others.

Almost all of us have a distorted image of our bodies. How could it be different if we are bombarded by photos of perfect women from an early age? It is evident that the relationship with our body passes through unreal comparisons. If we look at the models in the newspapers or the shop mannequins, we're out of the lineup. But we never think that if the store mannequins were real women, they'd be too skinny even to menstruate, or that if Barbie were a woman couldn't even stand on her feet: with those proportions, she'd have to move on all fours!

Instead, we feel wrong and judge ourselves constantly: my hips are too wide, my legs too big, my breasts too small, my hair is too thin...

What's even more ironic is that you can hear these speeches even from the mouths of those same models who look at you from magazines. Having worked as a model for several years, I know. I used to do them myself. That's why I wanted to write a letter to my body, to apologize for all those times when I didn't honor her.

Dear Body,
I'm writing to you to say ... I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for all the times I neglected you, abused you, ignored you.
For all the times I've looked at you and spoken to you with disgust and frustration, measured your value in pounds and inches, punished you, forced yourself into unsuitable clothes.

All the imperfections and "malfunctions" were just your attempts to get my attention.
You weren't lazy or fat. You were just trying to protect me from my own hate.
Every time you showed me an extra white hair, I complained and angrily removed it.
Every time you showed me an extra wrinkle, I got discouraged.

I understand now that these were your ways of telling me how wise you were becoming and how much I should have listened to you more.
I thought that your outbursts on my skin were a punishment to me, when they were just your way of freeing yourself from old toxins.
My beautiful body, for all the times I've neglected you, abused you, ignored you, taken your words badly instead of listening lovingly...
I'm sorry.

Thank you for protecting me, giving me the freedom to move and explore.
Thank you, my faithful companion for being so perfect in your imperfections, which make you unique and special.
Thank you for teaching me that love comes first and that through love, we can heal all our wounds.

I am ready to listen to you and love you now.
Yours

Lucia

Open your heart and write down what you've always thought, but you've never said to your body.

PS: Writing to your body is a very powerful exercise.