Having a flat stomach seems to be the Holy Grail of having a beautiful body for women in our society.

It’s something every woman wants, but that very few of even the very young have.

If you are like most of the women I work with, you may judge yourself . . . harshly . . . if you deem your belly less than perfect.

But what if your belly is actually your center of feminine power and a large belly can be used as a source of:

• Strength that will enhance how you cope with everyday tasks and sudden emergencies?
• Good health and healing from illness or injury?
• Creativity and new ideas?
• Effective communication in all areas of your life?
• Inspired action towards achieving your goals?
• Intimacy and love?
• Self-confidence?
• Physical and sexual attractiveness?

(Don’t believe a less than perfect belly or body can be sexy and attractive? Just think of Queen Latifah!)

During a recent Level 1 Reiki Training, I was fascinated to read that the Japanese believe that energy is stored in the area of your body just below your belly button and expands throughout the rest of your body. By connecting with this energy center, you will positively impact all areas of your life.

According to the Shoden Manual from the International House of Reiki, “Today people are often afraid of being large and of carrying a protruding belly. The belly is culturally rejected and therefore the natural center of gravity within the body is lost.”

One of the things that I discovered in my own wellness journey is the importance of connecting to your body—particularly to the belly, which I call your feminine power center.

If you struggle with your weight, chances are you have energetically cut yourself off from your body and are very “head-based.”

This means most of how you navigate life comes from your head region.

In addition to your weight, you may be head-based if you:

• Bump into things a lot.
• Feel mostly valued for your ideas or intelligence.
• Suffer from a lot of injuries or ailments that sometimes take you by surprise.
• Are incredibly tuned in spiritually—are perhaps even thought of as psychic—and you don’t understand why your life is unbalanced or is not unfolding as you wish.
• Struggle to engage in or maintain consistent exercise.

So how do you begin to connect with your body and your feminine power center in particular?

• Stop rejecting your belly. You may not be able to love it right away, and you may still want a firm and flat belly, but at the very least stop criticizing it. Hopefully the information I shared in this blog has been enough to help you recognize that your belly has value—just as it is right now—and you have let go of some judgment about it. If not, just take your focus off your belly entirely.
• Focus on feeling your body. Sit quietly for five minutes every day and just become aware of the feeling of the socks on your feet or the floor underneath them. Feel your ankles, calves, and knees. Notice how your legs and back feel against the chair you are sitting on. Feel your belly and chest, neck, and head. If thoughts or judgments come in, just imagine them in a stream being carried away. Just focus on feeling your body.
• Visualize a light bulb burning in your belly. Again, sit quietly and just imagine a warm, white light globe shining brightly. As that becomes clear, imagine feeling the warmth of the bulb. Let the light shine out past your body for several feet. When you get good at visualizing this light, activate this image right before you have conversations, or do your workout, or eat your healthy meals and notice how the experience changes.

Instead of judging this powerhouse of your body—and life!—begin to use your feminine power center to help you create the body you want.

Together we can do it!