“Speak to your body in a loving way. It’s the only one you’ve got, it’s your home, and it deserves your respect.”

Iskra Lawrence

Too frequently, I take my body for granted. When I am sick, I pledge to do better – eat better, drink more water, get more sleep, exercise more – when I am well. Our bodies are our temples. The older I get, the more my body reminds me of things. How much I should stretch. How much I should sleep. How much I should not eat fried foods. I much I should stop drinking after one glass of wine. The margin for error, the need for forgiveness, the promises for behavior change happen more frequently these days. As a woman living with Turner syndrome, the reasons to truly hate my body are all around and inside me, if I choose to look at my body that way.

A few years ago, the yoga studio in which I practiced in Cincinnati asked us to think about body gratitude. That question required me to reflect on the messages I send myself and the deep rooted negative feelings I have about my body. I want to focus on body gratitude (rather than body shame or body hate.) I have learned across the breath of all the efforts I have made over many years — to make peace with my body, to understand my body, to celebrate my body, to love my body— that all healthy habits essentially stem from deep gratefulness for my body. In the spirit of body gratitude, encouraged by a yoga community that remains in my heart though I have traveled far, here are five things about my body for which I am grateful.

I am grateful for my eyes.

I am grateful for my eyes. From being a 7th grader wearing too much eye makeup, to my current attraction to a smokey eye (whether or not it is in style), I love using my eyes for creativity and expression. I love my eyes simply as they are. I also love really seeing things. I have had to wear eyeglasses (or contacts) since 7th grade, and my sight definitely does not get better with age. I embrace that, too. I appreciate the beauty of correction and of clarity.

I am grateful for my skin.

This might sound weird, but I am grateful for my skin. I am grateful for the bumps and spots. I am grateful for the stretches and dimples. I am grateful for the marks and scars. My skin tells the story of my life. It protects me and gives me my shape, too. I love the French saying “Bien dans sa peau.” Roughly translated, it means comfortable in your own skin. I think that is the heart of body gratitude.

I am grateful for my ears.

I have lost half of my hearing at the pitch level of the human voice. (That is a common part of Turner syndrome.) When I am in places with a lot of noise, I can’t distinguish sounds. Despite that, or perhaps because of all that, I am grateful for my ears. As my eyes have taught correction and clarity, my ears have taught me the power of adapting, coping mechanisms, and sensitivity to others. I have drawn strength from their frailty. We can love things that don’t work right. After many years, and absolute denial, I bought hearing aids. They only made me more grateful for my ears and the gift of hearing.

I am grateful for my legs.

My legs are strong. I have learned this through running a marathon, many half marathons, and more road races than I can count. I have learned this through training and showing up over many years. I have learned it through finding happiness outdoors on the open road. I love the length of my legs – especially because I am not even 5 feet tall. I love that when I hurt parts of my legs (which does happen) they heal. What could be thought of as a big challenge is a great strength.

I am grateful for my heart.

The heart is one of the parts of the body most impacted by Turner syndrome. Through consistent cardiac care, I know my heart is sound. Blood flows in the right direction. My aorta is the correct size and shape. My heart muscle beats clearly with strength and consistency. As someone with a history of heart disease in my family, and the strike that is Turner syndrome against me, I am grateful for the physical condition of my heart.