You may be "accepting yourself for who you are," but you are accepting a two-dimensional static version of yourself. That is not who you are. You are not the static body, you are the changing body; the body in motion. This body in motion is the gift we are all blessed with this lifetime. Honor that gift by using it.

Practice using your body in new ways. Here are some suggestions:

1. Range of Motion - In a given day most of us move only a fraction of the ways that we can. Seriously. Do you reach above your head? How far can you stretch? Do you give any thought to how stiff or inflexible you may be, either in body or attitude? Try starting a regimen of stretching or yoga. It only takes a few minutes a day, and you can do it in the privacy of your own home if you're like me and don't have the time or money for a class.
2. Strength - I love lifting weights. It makes me feel so strong and powerful. You don't need to lift weights to increase your strength. Do push-ups, sit-ups, stack boxes, do yard work. Don't accept the offers of bigger, stronger people to do it for you. Prove that you can do it yourself. Use your beautiful muscles.
3. Defend your Body - If you really want to learn new ways to move, learn a martial art. You get exercise, discipline, and the tools to defend your body if need be. I recommend Ed Parker's American Kenpo for those who want something vicious and practical, aikido or kung fu for those with a softer touch, and karate or tai kwon do for those who want something that for exercise, but no self-defense value. (These recommendations are my opinions based on my experiences. Your experiences may be different.)
4. Push Yourself - If you are fit enough, try running, hiking, biking, or a similar endurance sport. Even if you have never run before, you can start at 10 or 15 minutes and work towards longer and faster times. Find out about local road races, bike clubs, or hiking clubs and get together with them. Do a 2-mile hike, than train for a 5-mile. Run a 5k race in 30 minutes and strive to improve your time on the next one. Push yourself. Get sweaty. Find your limits and move past them.
5. Have Fun - All of this should be fun, if occasionally painful with the skinned knees and sore muscles, but there is more to life than exercise. Climb a tree. Jump in the river. Go dancing in the rain, or at a club, if you prefer.

   Have fun with your Body in Motion. "As above so below." We do not worship a static Goddess. She is the changing cycles, the spinning Earth, the never-ending dance of stars and constellations. We, body and spirit, are reflections of her, as She and we move through our lives. Honor Her, and honor yourselves by realizing this and loving your body (and yourself) for what you can do, not how you look in a given moment.

   Blessed Be.

   --Diana Fey

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