Can You Get Fit Without Self-Loathing? | Cara Lai

About this episode

<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p>---</p> <p>Practical tips to stop judging yourself, chill out about exercise, and start taking better care of your body – from a Buddhist teacher who learned the hard way.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Description:</strong> </p> <p>It's an urgent question for so many of us: Can we exercise, can we take care of our bodies, without being driven by shame, self-loathing, or noxious comparison to other people?</p> <p>Our guest today has a unique perspective on this. Cara Lai is a former social worker and psychotherapist who is now a Buddhist teacher. She also used to be a marathoner. But in the last few years, her body has undergone some radical changes, leading her to some hard-won, fascinating, and deeply useful insights about how to strike the balance between taking care of your body and staying sane.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Practices for that moment when you're getting out of the shower, see yourself in the mirror, and engage in a festival of self-judgment</li> <li>The surprising things that happened when Cara was forced to stop exercising</li> <li>A counterintuitive mindfulness practice suggestion for those with exercise routines</li> <li>When and why you should purposely do things you know are bad for you</li> <li>Why we often resist 'being in our bodies,' why that's OK, and how to lower the bar on this contemplative cliché–without giving it up</li> <li>A body-related Buddhist practice she finds to be totally not useful</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href= "https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/cara-lai-612" rel= "noopener noreferrer" target= "_blank">https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/cara-lai-787</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Other Resources Mentioned:</strong></p> <p><a href= "https://tenpercent-happier.webflow.io/tph/podcast-episode/cara-lai-265" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Upside of Desire | Cara Lai</a></p> <p><a href= "https://tenpercent-happier.webflow.io/tph/podcast-episode/evelyn-tribole-repost" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Additional Resources:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: <a href= "https://10percenthappier.app.link/install" rel= "noopener noreferrer" target= "_blank">https://10percenthappier.app.link/install</a></li> </ul> <p><br /></p>