Keep Listening to Your Body

Many weight loss plans focus on externals—how you look, how you’re shaped, into what dress size you can fit. We’re all for looking good—and we promise you lots of compliments when you start the Fat Flush plans! But we believe that looking good starts with feeling good-and feeling good starts with being in touch with your body. On the Fat Flush Fitness Plan, we want you to know your body from the inside out, because in the end, that’s where the real motivation for exercise comes—from within. So take fifteen minutes to move through this body awareness exercise and listen to your body. You might be surprised at what it’s trying to tell you!

1. Find a quiet, peaceful place where you can sit undisturbed for up to fifteen minutes. Unplug the phone, turn off the radio, and insofar as possible, create a space where you can actually hear the sound of your own breath. You can sit on a chair, the floor, or even on your bed, but don’t lie down—it’s too easy to fall asleep. You want to be relaxed but alert, so that you can truly listen to your body. Before you begin the exercise, put a pen and paper nearby for easy access when you get to step 10.
2. Close your eyes and allow yourself to breathe deeply. Don’t force your breath. Instead, think of your breath as gently floating into your lungs and then, just as gently, floating out. Slow your breathing until each inhale and exhale is eight counts long.
3. Now, listen to your body. As your lungs expand and contract, see if you can feel your heart beating. Tune into the rhythm of your heartbeat. See if you can feel the blood pumping through your veins. Now that you know about the lymphatic system, visualize the lymph channels flowing through your body and tune in to their condition. Do you imagine them as clogged and sluggish, or as clear and flowing? Become aware of your spine. Is it a straight, powerful channel of energy, or do you feel blockages and knots?
4. Move your awareness up to the crown of your head. Notice any tension or stiffness as you move slowly down through your scalp, your face, your neck, and your shoulders.
5. Check in with your arms, your elbows, your wrists, and your fingers. Are your arms as strong and supple as you would like them to be? Do they have the full range of motion that you’d like, or are they stiff and hard to lift?
6. Move down through your chest, from your upper back through your lower back. Is your back smooth and flexible, or does it often feel stiff and achy? Can you trust your back, or do you worry about it going out?
7. Continue down through your hips and pelvis. Do you feel strong and flexible in this area? When you think about dancing, running, or making love, can you rely on your pelvis and hips, or do you have twinges, aches, pains, and stiffness in this region?
8. Move on to your thighs, knees, shins, ankles, and feet. Are your legs as powerful and vigorous as you would like them to be? Do your knees and ankles allow you to bend and stretch throughout the day? Can you walk or run as far and as fast as you would like, or are you plagued with sore shins and aching feet?
9. Bring your whole body into your awareness, from the inside out. Feel your entire physical self, and take note again of where you would like to improve strength, suppleness, and vigor. Sit for a moment with your eyes closed, soaking up this physical experience.
10. Now, open your eyes. Pick up the pen and paper, and without stopping to think about it, write down your impressions, discoveries, thoughts, and feelings. What have you learned about yourself and your body? How does this new knowledge relate to your exercise goals and plans?