Hello there, beautiful person.

It’s been a big week — so please know I’m thinking of all of us with Covid, political unrest, vaccine news and just all the things that we can’t seem to control right now.

But…

Is it okay if we have a little talk about our bodies today? In a topsy-turvy world, sometimes it’s good to centre in on what we can take care of to make things a little better.

Let me tell you a story: I’ve always been wiggly and a mover. My childhood nickname was Squirmie, and I remember talking so much during mealtime that my plate was always mostly full when everyone else was finished because…hello, Fun! Even though I tried most things (volleyball, basketball, figure skating) I hated sports and I was terrible at anything with a ball, but I loved to walk for hours. Fast forward to adulthood, and I’ve always done the basics. I’ve been a runner, exercised, went to fitness classes, dance classes, women’s rugby, group training in the park, Zumba, and now training in our at-home garage gym—which is really just two mats, some weights and a couple of machines.

So I’ve put that exercise tick in the box, and about half of it was done grudgingly.

But this morning I slept in, and in that delicious well-slept and dreamy state I had a big realisation. I want to step outside my own body this year…and actually learn to love it.

The Year of Body Love.

Not health, not weight loss, not exercise, not doing something gruelling because it’s good for me. Nope. I’ve had a mindset shift. I want to take my own body by the hand and treat me better.

For me, what does that look like?

• I want to see moving my body as a privilege that I “get to do”.

• I want to discover what I might feel like if I were truly strong.

• I want to work on my posture.

• I want to move more every day — long and slow, outside whenever possible. I want to breathe more fresh air, sit less and definitely stretch my arms above my head so much more often than I do now.

(Check yourself: how many times a day do you stretch your arms above your head? For me, not enough.)

Body Love isn’t about another resolution to do better because we’ve been bad at taking care of ourselves. It comes from a different place.

Like this:

I’m intrigued by this, and a little excited to try.

I hope you have a relaxing, peaceful Sunday…and that this CRAZY first week of the new year held some joy.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Hello, new people!

• I’m in the middle of reading Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and I know wny the world is loving it. Have you read it yet? It’s giving me the most amazing dreams about my own ‘sliding doors’ life and what could have been…