K is for Kindness

Kindness. 

The word conjures up a quality or way of being. 

A quality of being generous, benevolent, friendly, considerate.

Often witnessed as “acts” of kindness. 

Kindness can have positive mental and physical effects on our health. 

Through the practice of kindness we can lower stress levels and increase the body's production of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. These health benefits occur whether kindness is extended to others or to ourselves. 

One way we can express more kindness is with our physical body.

Let’s call it Body kindness. 

In our culture, we’ve been conditioned to believe our body must fit some ideal. We admire others for their body. We praise thinness, and youthfulness. We call ourselves out of shape, flabby, and getting “old”. We rail against our body and lack compassion for the true miracle it is. In order to reconcile this conditioning, we act unkind and critical of ourselves.

Yet our body is just being a body. And this lack of kindness to our body is misdirected.
Even small acts of kindness toward our body can have big effects. 

We know how to be kind.

When we develop kindness toward our body, it has profound benefits on our health and vitality.