Could mindfulness play a role in promoting positive body image?
| Mar 1, 2019, 15:48 IST
Mindfulness refers to the process of bringing one's attention to the experiences occurring in the present moment. It can be achieved through meditation or through other techniques and has a fairly positive impact on people's mental health. Now, a study has found that mindfulness can also be used to promote positive body image. By making people more aware of their internal body signs such as heartbeat or breathing rate, mindfulness could also bring about positive thoughts about one's body image.
A study was conducted on a group of people (both men and women) between the ages of 18 to 76. It was found that people who could sustain attention towards their internal body signals and who could trust their body signals were more likely to have a positive body image and were less preoccupied with the thoughts of being overweight. “Unfortunately, experiences of negative body image are extremely common, to the extent that some academics consider this a ‘normal’ experience for women in Western society,” said lead study author Jenny Todd.
“Our research finds associations between the awareness of internal body signals and measures of body image. This could have implications for promoting positive body image, for example modifying interoceptive awareness through mindfulness-based practices,” Todd added. Well, this certainly goes to prove that being aware of your body and its signals can help promote a fairly positive image of your body. Stay tuned for more updates.
A study was conducted on a group of people (both men and women) between the ages of 18 to 76. It was found that people who could sustain attention towards their internal body signals and who could trust their body signals were more likely to have a positive body image and were less preoccupied with the thoughts of being overweight. “Unfortunately, experiences of negative body image are extremely common, to the extent that some academics consider this a ‘normal’ experience for women in Western society,” said lead study author Jenny Todd.
“Our research finds associations between the awareness of internal body signals and measures of body image. This could have implications for promoting positive body image, for example modifying interoceptive awareness through mindfulness-based practices,” Todd added. Well, this certainly goes to prove that being aware of your body and its signals can help promote a fairly positive image of your body. Stay tuned for more updates.