A Declaration of Communion

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I must believe
I can do anything

- from "Use the Force by Jamiroquai

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I do not seek to control my body. I do not desire to conform it to certain shapes and sizes, contour it to match the bodies of others, nor distort it beyond what it is meant to be.

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I, instead, desire to be in communion with my body. To be a partner to it as its steward and inhabitant. Its interest is in my survival, so my interest should be its prosperity. I am responsible for keeping it healthy as much as it is responsible for preserving me. It does its job with impeccable integrity and unparalleled focus and intelligence, as designed by the Creator Himself. I, however, am not in the same predicament and must think to do. I must think about acting and then act. So that I will.

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To be in communion with my body, to be a good steward, a good partner, I must focus on its wellbeing, honor its uniqueness, and respect its pace. Because its wellbeing is my wellbeing, its uniqueness is my uniqueness, its pace is my pace. This is my body. This is my home. I cannot exist without it. This is what I must use to connect with the rest of the world. I will never get another one. This is mine. And no one will ever have it but me. This is my personal assignment, my most important stewardship duty, for it is through this body that I steward all else. Therefore I must show it care, grace, and love, I must show myself care, grace and love. Out of gratitude for having it at all.

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So no, my dear, there's no need to be anxious about how long you've been out of the gym, how long it's been since you've had a rock-solid workout routine, how long it's been since you changed how you trained. It was a risk, for sure, but a calculated one. You only need to show up, do what you need to do, and move on. Daily deposits. Consistency. Focus. And the understanding that you may never get to look like the girlies in your body goals folder. But that really should've never been a concern of yours anyway. Your body is your own. It is unique, it is very specifically designed for you, and what works for others will not always work for you. Solidify your principles. Build strong pillars on which you can build a better relationship with your body. And then move forward in love and intention and see the strength progressively become more apparent.

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You are strong. You are capable of becoming stronger. But if your relationship with your body is weak, then what may appear to be strong is surely fragile. Seek strength, resilience, speed, power, mobility, but above all, health. This is your body. If all systems are not firing then it is your responsibility to fix it. And that, I'll say, you have done quite a splendid job at.

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At the first report of high cholesterol, you sprung into action with laser focus! Researching, contacting a nutritionist, acting swiftly on her feedback, and garnering support for your counterattack. Fiber? Done. Not my blood stream.

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But what must be realized, my friend, is that there will always be someone there to tell you that you're not doing enough or you're not doing it right.

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They'll try to point you towards that workout system or that diet or that new fitness fad posed as the missing link between you and the body that you want. But this is no longer about the body that I want. This is about the body that I have. How can I best steward the body I already have?

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Here's some ideas now that we're in a bit of a transition period:

1. No more alcohol.
2. What Mick Jenkins say? Drink more water.
3. Increase fiber intake by introducing beans and legumes into my diet.
4. No more red meat. Chicken and fish, as Jill Scott would say, exclusively.
5. Get outside every single day. If not only for a 15 minute walk. Breathe fresh air into your lungs daily.
6. Exercise at least five times every week. Let's do Lagree three times a week and yoga twice. The two other days can either be walking or just rest.
7. Limit intake of fitfluencer content. Their bodies are not yours. Listen to what your body is telling you. It is the best source of information for you.
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Moving on to pillars of a healthy relationship with my body

1. This body is a gift and a temple. It is my responsibility alone to steward it with care.
2. This body is beautiful. It is my responsibility alone to see its beauty and to actively reject notions that it is anything but.
3. This body is capable. It is my responsibility to strengthen it and keep it active, for what is at rest will stay at rest and what does not grow will die.

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