Our bodies are how we manifest love in the world. They are God’s gift to us. 

Why is this so important? Because we’re surrounded by messages that tell us our bodies are bad, or that looking after our bodies is somehow shallow or vainglorious, when nothing could be further from the truth! Nothing happens without your body—not even reading this article or responding on a keyboard. 

Our bodies demonstrate that our physicality is not a departure from our spirituality; rather, our bodies are an essential ingredient in being human and honoring God. Tuning in to our bodies helps us access sensations, emotions, and information unavailable to the logical mind. 

“Bodies” includes the entire neurological network (i.e. the intelligence centers of the limbic system, the brain stem, the heart, the gut, and the neural pathways that exist throughout the entire body, each with their own kind of awareness). Our bodies are warehouses of wisdom, and not purely an extension of our conscious minds. Appreciating our bodies cultivates a new awareness of being present and inhabiting God’s Creation.

If we want to enjoy Christ’s promise of abundant life (cf. Jn.10.10), then we must learn to appreciate and to celebrate the bodies God has entrusted to our care.