I have been in Maui now for 8 days and am loving it (of course) AND I also want to share with you that I have been struggling a little bit with not working this week and feeling guilty for taking a week off for my birthday. It made me realize how much my ego can still be attached to doing to be worthwhile, and how the voices in my head still say “who do you think you are to go to maui for your b-day, live your dreams, etc.”

Yes. Despite all the self-work I have done I still struggle with self-acceptance too. Acceptance of my body (I put on a few vacation pounds), my needs (expressing what I want to do on vacation to my boyfriend) and living my dreams (travel whenever and wherever I choose). So I started using my self-acceptance and worth guided TMP practice again. 🙂

Learning acceptance has been one of my biggest challenges and also the ultimate key in healing Multiple Sclerosis (and body shame/weight). I had to first accept that I had the diagnosis. I then had to accept that my body couldn’t do what it could before and that I couldn’t work 40+ hours/week.

We can’t heal a body we hate. I also learned to accept and listen to the messages my body was giving me (symptoms of fatigue, pain. etc.) vs. fighting it, pushing it, and ignoring it. I had to start listening to my needs which meant expressing them (and often disappointing others ).

I also realized that my perfectionistic nature and self-critical voice needed to be accepted, worked with and changed if I was going to heal. Did you know that from a mind-body perspective autoimmune disorders are all related to “you attacking you” (verbally, mentally, or physically)?

Whether you struggle with illness or not I am guessing that you could use a little self-acceptance tune-up. AND remember that acceptance doesn’t mean you have to like something. One simple tool that I just taught my women circle members to change their self-critical thoughts is “Thought Shifting”. All you have to do is catch the self-critical voice, acknowledge what it is saying (ex. I’m not doing enough, my body is not good enough) and then finish with the opposite or at least neutral thought (AND I am always doing enough, I love my body just as it is) silently or out loud. Try it. Daily. Often. Whenever you become aware of it happening.

If you struggle with MS or any autoimmune disorder (fibromyalgia, chrohn’s. chronic fatigue, etc.) then please join me for a complimentary virtual class “The Keys to Healing MS” on March 20th. It is national MS month so please spread the word about this class so everyone who struggles can learn the keys I used to heal MS and heal too! REGISTER HERE

Love, Tanya 🙂

P.S. There are still 2 spaces left in “The Vibrant Body Women’s Circle” …so if you are ready to take the ultimate healing journey in 2014 than Click Here