#612. Can You Get Fit Without Self-Loathing? | Cara Lai
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?
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.
In this episode we talk about:
- 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
- The surprising things that happened when Cara was forced to stop exercising
- A counterintuitive mindfulness practice suggestion for those with exercise routines
- When and why you should purposely do things you know are bad for you
- 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
- A body-related Buddhist practice she finds to be totally not useful
Where to find Cara Lai online:
Website: www.caralai.org/
Podcast: Adventures in Meditating
Other Resources Mentioned:
- Dan’s first episode with Cara Lai: https://radiopublic.com/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harr-WwE9m8/s1!fbff1
- Dan’s conversation with Evelyn Tribole: https://radiopublic.com/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harr-WwE9m8/s1!82d02
