I asked a group of more than 1,800 women to help me make a list of positive affirmations for a healthy body image, and this is what we created!

• My mind is clear and open.
• My face radiates beautiful kindness.
• My head is held high and proud.
• My eyes reflect the beauty of the world around me.
• My shoulders are strong and stable.
• My arms are open to giving and receiving love.
• My hands are capable and skilled.
• My heart is courageous and loving.
• The roundness of my belly connects me to our Mother Earth.
• My hips are free and fearless.
• My legs support and carry me through my life.
• My feet are always moving me forward towards my goals.
• My body is beautiful for what it can do.
• My body belongs to me. I love and respect myself, exactly as I am.
• I take care of me, so that those I love will have me forever.
• I take care of my body and my body takes care of me.
• I respect the wisdom of my body.
• I see myself with loving eyes, and I love everything I see.
• I love my body. My partner loves my body.
• I am comfortable and confident in my own skin.
• My body is my home.
• My body is wise and my intuition is strong.
• I am powerful. I am capable.
• I love my body because it’s mine.
• I love my body because it’s the house of a goddess.
• I love my body because nobody else can tell me how to feel.
• I love my body because it’s my best friend.
• I feel healthy as I give my body the food, rest and activity it needs
• My body has overcome many physical feats and shows its beauty.
• My body is my constant companion and works hard to accomplish what I want and need.
• I am grateful for this body! It allows me to experience the world around me and gives me sensation beyond measure.
• My body is not for others’ approval or satisfaction, but for myself, to make me happy.
• My body is love. My body accepts love. My body gives love.
• My body is a temple for me to decorate as I please, and I’m the only one that has to accept my body.
• My large feet keep me planted firmly on the ground. My thick thighs provide plenty of lap space to sit on. My soft arms create a cushiony pillow for small heads.
• My body cannot be owned. It is not my possession, rather, my body IS myself. I do not look upon it as “other.” As I include my body into my sense of self, empathy for its story is the only thing left to feel, and I accept my wholeness.
• My body is a miracle.
• I am always the perfect age.
• Never regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.
• I am allowed to feel all emotions ranging from love and lust to anger and hurt.
• My body knows how to grieve because my body knows how to have hope.
• My body is me, and I am exactly as I should be.
• My body is spectacular.
• My body is strong and capable.
• My body is a gift and I cherish its abilities, great and small.
• My body and spirit are a perfect team and are always working together.
• My body is supportive of who I am becoming.
• My body is perfect for who I am today, and will support me in my life’s journey.
• Today, I honor my body.
• I love myself, and I treat myself with respect.
• I am in tune with my body and I respond to its healthy desires.
• My body thanks me for my healthy choices.
• The health of my body is my joyful responsibility.
• My body tells my story.
• My body is a testament to the life I have lived.
• I listen only to my own inner wisdom, and let it guide my every thought and action.
• May I accept things as they are. May I be free from suffering and the cause of suffering. May all beings be free from suffering and the cause of suffering.

Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.

INA MAY GASKIN,