5 Body Positive Mantras to Empower You This Summer (And Always)

Summer is that glorious time of year when everyone spends more time outside, soaking up the warmth of longer, sunnier days. It’s also the time of year when we need to soak up extra self-love to maintain body positivity.

It’s easy to betray our body image when swimsuit ads start sending us all sorts of messages about how our bodies “should” look, which can cause lots of thoughts to bubble up to the surface. But it’s time to kick all that negative body image talk to the curb.
 

Maintaining a positive body image starts with self-love.

 
Anna Guest-Jelley, founder of Curvy Yoga, says “Happiness isn’t size-specific.”

It’s not always easy to love your body, especially when we live in a society that constantly tells us we need to look a certain way to be beautiful, accepted and valued. But we can take control of the narrative. Maintaining a positive body image starts with self-love. And one way to practice self-love is with the use body positive mantras.

You might also like: Your Body Is Already Beautiful! Use These 5 Tips to Find Confidence and Body Acceptance at Any Size
 

What Are Body Positive Mantras?

A mantra is a word or phrase you repeat to yourself to help you stay focused on a thought or idea. So a body positive mantra is a word or phrase that helps you build and maintain a positive body image.
 

We can take control of the narrative.

 
They can also be called body positive affirmations. Affirmations are words or phrases that affirm something to be true. So using these affirmations or mantras are a way to remind ourselves that we are beautiful and whole and valuable – intrinsically, at our core, as we are.
 
 

How Do You Use Body Positive Mantras?

There are many ways to use body positive affirmations or mantras.

You can write them on a sticky note and place it somewhere you’ll see it often, like a bathroom mirror or next to your computer screen. You can repeat them to yourself during a meditation or any time you feel yourself struggling to find self-love and acceptance.

There’s no wrong way to use them. They are here to support you.
 

Use These 5 Body Positive Mantras (Or Get Inspired to Create Your Own):

You can, of course, create your own body positive mantras. But if you need a little help to get started, here are a few to point you in the right direction.

“I am beautiful the way I am.”

“I love my body for all it can do.”

“I take care of my body out of love and respect for myself.”

“I am worthy of love. My body is worthy of love.”

“My body, heart, and mind are strong and powerful.”

One great way to craft your own body positive affirmation is to consider the negative self-talk in your mind and turn it around.

For example, if you find yourself often thinking things like, “My arms are too big,” change it to, “My arms are strong and I appreciate all they have carried for me.” Cultivate a habit of transforming negative thoughts into positive ones.

For more on body positivity, read Here Are 5 Ways Yoga Cultivates Body Positivity
 
 

Body Positive Mantras Help You Love Yourself + Love Your Body

In addition to helping us build up a stronger and more positive body image, positive affirmations can have a huge effect on the body itself. Our brains are incredibly powerful tools.

“Neuroplasticity” refers to your brain’s ability to restructure or rewire itself when it recognizes the need for adaptation. We can actually rewire our brains to learn and think and heal as we recognize the things that no longer serve us.

By using affirmations like, “My body is strong and has the capacity to heal,” your subconscious mind will adopt it as a deep truth and begin to act accordingly.

Remember, at the end of the day, we get to choose what voices we listen to . . . what messages we accept. Sometimes the negativity is coming from outside sources and at times, from within.

Begin practicing self-love by using these body positive mantras to crowd out the discouraging and welcoming in more peace, grace and joy. We are all beautiful – inside and out – and deserving of happiness, right now, as we are.
 

Roll Out Your Yoga Mat for a Dose of Self-Love

With Jessica Smith

30-Minute Class | All Levels

Once you have your body positive mantra, immerse yourself in this loving, comforting and therapeutic Hatha Yoga practice on YA Classes, which is designed to help you fully love and accept yourself, build self-confidence, and enjoy being uniquely y.o.u.

All included information is not intended to treat or diagnose. The views expressed are those of the author and should be attributed solely to the author. For medical questions, please consult your healthcare provider.