Acceptance vs. Change

Can you accept your body but still want to change it?

Well, I’ve always wondered the psychology behind this so I asked our expert behavioral therapist Akara J Campbell for an explanation.

From my experience, accepting your body must be the first step towards change! But logically, if you accept your body, can you still want to change it?

Here's what Akara has to say (click for video)...

"Acceptance and change might feel like opposing forces, but as Steph has suggested so beautifully, they are deeply intertwined as one dynamic process. In a way, “radical acceptance” is a form of change! Accepting oneself fully is what frees up our energy from a state of rigidity or stuckness to one of motivation and momentum.

For example, as a dance therapist and counselor, I am often hearing myself say to participants, “find the stillness in the movement!” What seems paradoxical is actually one process: we are dancing to cultivate a sense of inner stillness, and it is the inner stillness that allows for us to move most freely. Similarly, we accept ourselves fully to create room for transformation and growth, and the more we transform and grow, the more our self-love and radical acceptance become truly unconditional! 

What holds you back from accepting yourself, and is that something you can change… Or accept!?"

Imagine trying to change from a place of hate. How disastrous that journey would be. Hyper-focusing negative energy into your body as a whole or into certain body parts, demanding they change, and becoming infuriated if or when they don’t. It’s a negative feedback loop of “I hate my body, I must change it, it’s not changing, now I hate my body even more.”

But imagine the positive journey that begins from a place of love and acceptance… ✨

I’ve experienced both journeys 🌚🌝

Since being a kid I’ve had an insecurity about my legs - let’s just boil it down to cellulite and my conditioned, critical mind thinking cellulite (on me) looks bad. I’ve never thought it looks bad on others which is such an eye opener to this distorted way of thinking.

Always trying different things to change my legs’ appearance would just leave me more annoyed when they didn’t work.

But something clicked one day. I realized I am so much more than my body. I didn’t choose to have cellulite or a mustache lol or acne or whatever else has caused insecurities. Why should I feel ashamed of any part of my body? My legs have taken me everywhere I needed to go the past 30+ years. WOW, I owe it to my legs and myself to love and accept them.

Now as I cup my legs in the photo above (for cellulite - which by the way is working!), I’m not only on a mission to “have no cellulite.” Turns out I can feel the fascia loosening up, I give love to my body by promoting circulation, I breathe so much pride into every limb. I find happiness knowing I’m helping my body stay healthy and perform its best.

Did I finally find the technique that worked for me? Or was love and acceptance the missing piece?

Ps. Akara (@akaravibe) is such a valuable part of BUILT Custom Coaching! Schedule a call with me to join the team and transform your body & mind 🧘🏻‍♀️

Also, summer 1-on-1 coaching promo is happening now. For a limited time, take advantage of 45% off custom coaching with us!

Click here to book a call and let's get you started!

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Happy Friday,

Steph