100-Day Gratitude Challenge
Day 32: Be Alive in Your Body Today
Reflect
In 1968, the legendary jazz musician Nina Simone released the single “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life.” It is a litany of what is missing and what is possessed. The song begins with “I ain’t got no home, ain’t got no shoes, ain’t got no money, ain’t got no class…” and goes on to “ Got my hair, got my head, got my brains, got my ears, got my eyes, got my nose, got my mouth, I got my smile….” It is a powerful anthem of abundance, rooted in embodiment. While every body arrives with its limitations, ailments, and diseases, Nina reminds us that the gift of embodiment and our celebration of it, for as long as we have it, is our path to being fully alive in ourselves. We gain abilities and lose abilities, but we “got life” thanks to every atom in our body — a reminder of life’s abundance.
Practice
Our bodies change and face inevitable impairments. Be alive in your body today, whether through movement like a dance or walk, eating a favorite meal, taking in beauty from a song or something beautiful outdoors. Honor how your body has changed; maybe you can’t eat spicy food anymore, hear well, or move with ease. At the same time, take inventory of all the ways in which your body is functioning and sustaining your life. How does your body continue to serve you well?