Sometimes the most ordinary activities are the most fascinating. Take sleep, for example: scientists still aren’t in agreement as to the nature of dreams or why REM sleep is so crucial. Yet we all do it and often don’t ask why. Feeding is another one. We eat, and sustain our vitality, but eating in itself offers a direct link between the personal and the transpersonal. One moment the cream cake is a part of the world, outside of you, and then next it’s inside; it is you. And so, in this negotiation, between the boundaries of me and everything else, blossoms our relationship to eating.

I was 14 and living a fashionable life, working with some well known names in the industry, when I first realised maintaining a good body could get complicated. On the heels of this brief foray came ten years working in psychology where it seemed clear that when diet and body-wellness were considered passion, strength and joy could not take root in exhausted, burdened, unloved or half-hearted bodies.

But the good news is that you can cultivate a beautiful body image in many ways and you can start today, with the way you approach your wellness, fitness & diet habits. I hope you enjoy my 6 steps to Summer Body Confidence, and that they may offer a little food for thought as you enjoy your holiday season.

1. Start your happy now: When embarking on a body & health revamp it’s useful to accept yourself as you are first. Yes, I hear how that might sound counter intuitive; ‘I shall accept myself just fine 6 lbs down the line’ someone once replied. But it really does work. Learning to be satisfied with what you have (this works in other parts of life too) means that your goals are already coming from abundance, from a place of fulfilment, rather than coming from lack and fear. Fear clouds judgement and hinders effective, considered progress. Likewise, learning to be with what is will also help you if you are prone to thinking “I’ll be happy when..” thinking.

2. Keep the faith: A wise lady once told me “patience and time do more than force and rage”, and when you are embracing a new healthy body plan faith is what will get you through the first few gym sessions or that healthy evening in before you’ve started to see results.

3. Prize your health: There is a brilliant movement in the wellness industry from skinny towards fit, and it’s really wonderful to see a more compassionate self-attitude moving mainstream. The meditation teacher in me would say that for some this is simply exchanging one obsession for another; but all things considered, looking after the health of your body is a beautiful thing to focus on. Making it your central focus to let go of fad diets and instead fill your home and office with natural nutritious food; taking regular alone time and exercise will work wonderfully as a central motivation for sustainable body confidence.

If you’re fed up of yo-yo diets, want to feel comfortable in your own skin and stop obsessing over food long enough to actually live a healthier happier more creative lifestyle I have a special treat for you. Work Your Body is a class carefully sculpted from my years training in fashion, the arts, psychology and meditative traditions. It promises to enlighten you with a new system of relating to your body, enlivening your feminine confidence (it’s an all woman class) and moving into healthy diet bliss, and ultimately unite you in the wholeness, the fullness of yourself so that you can go into summer with the best outlook yet. The class is Saturday 7th June and tickets are available here.

Text by Emma Mills

Part 2 of Emma’s summer body confidence steps will be available exclusively on the That Girl blog next week.

Emma is a psychological coach and therapist, and is the founder of Mapetry Sessions & Emma Mills Meditation. She has been featured in Vogue, More, Argent Lifestyle and has  worked with Johnson & Johnson, The Royal Opera House, The BBC, and The Houses of Parliament. Further work is available at emmamills.tv or you can reach her on Twitter @EMillsTherapies.

That Girl says…

We love Emma’s approach to confidence and living your life to the full, and we’re excited to hear Emma’s next three steps to body confidence next week!