I had a client once who was struggling to lose weight and keep it off.
She hired me to coach her and we got right down to business.
We took a close look at her eating habits, of course, but also her home life, her sleeping habits, her job, her relationships — anything and everything that might be causing her to overeat due to boredom, anxiety, or stess.
We made excellent progress. She was able to adjust her lifestyle. She was dropping pounds, building momentum, feeling increasingly proud and excited.
But then, as often happens with this kind of transformative work, she hit a wall.
Stressful situations cropped up in her life. Old habits crept back in.
Her mind started playing tricks on her. Her inner critic was taunting, raging, telling her she was doomed to fail.
She started to backslide.
She gained some weight.
She was miserable about it.
During one of our phone calls, she was nearly in tears. My heart ached for her. She told me:
“My body and soul are at odds, fighting each other. My body has betrayed me.”
I understand how it might feel that way.
I know what it feels like to stare into the mirror and see a body that doesn’t seem to “fit,” as you think to yourself, “How the hell did this happen? Who is this person I’m seeing? Why is this happening to me?! That’s not… me.”
But your body is not your enemy. Your body is not trying to harm you.
When something unpleasant is happening in your body, that isn’t “betrayal.”
It’s your soul trying to send you a message.
Extra weight around your belly might be your soul’s way of asking, “Why are you putting everybody else’s needs before your own?”
A stress fracture in your foot might be your soul’s way of saying, “Slow down. You’re rushing through your day and ignoring all kinds of important signals. Do I have your attention, yet?!”
Aching shoulders and bags under your eyes might be your soul’s way of saying, “When’s the last time you spent some time outside… without your cellphone? Nature misses you.”
Even physical experiences that feel like the absolute worst form of “betrayal” — cancer, diabetes, excruciating rheumatoid arthritis — can be viewed as a message from your soul, if you choose to take that perspective. It might be a message urging you to be strong, to live every day with purpose and intention, to surround yourself with experiences and relationships that really matter, to love yourself deeply, and to treat yourself with the utmost care and respect.
Your soul is always rooting for you. Your soul communicates through your body. That is its language.
(Side note: I recently injured my hamstring and was told that I couldn’t run for a while. A smart fitness trainer at my gym told me: “An injury in your body is your soul pleading for a detour.” Love that.)
If you are not losing weight… not sleeping soundly… if your stomach is churning… if something just doesn’t feel right… that is your soul trying to ask for something… plead for something… deliver an urgent message.
Can’t decipher the message? Let me un-scramble the code for you.
99% of the time, your soul’s message boils down to three simple words:
“More love, please.”
PS. What are your body and soul asking for, today? Will you answer the call?
PPS. If you want to help women love and respect their bodies, even if they are not currently living at their ideal / natural / goal weight, don’t miss the next round of my weight-loss coaching certification program, BARE Certified.
Women are LOVING this brave, powerful approach to weight-loss, especially the small-group vibe with so much sisterhood and personal support. It’s an honor to watch my clients transform into the weight loss coaches they were born to be.
I’ll be leading the program again in February and registration is already open. Sign up right here: https://susanhyatt.co/programs/bare-method-certification/
