Your Miraculous Body

Once you’ve gone to the bathroom, chances are you don’t give it much more thought; but Jewish tradition values relieving oneself so much that it requires a special blessing. While this idea often inspires a bit of mirth the first time one hears it, the Asher Yatzar prayer is more than a bathroom blessing. It’s a way to thank the Almighty for the miraculous functions of the human body each day. Considering how many people mistreat and malign their bodies, this is one blessing you don’t want to, well, eliminate. It’s time to stop looking down our nose at our body and start showing it some gratitude.

Our body is a wonderland, but most of what we know is only skin deep. Underneath the skin, there are endless fascinating biological and chemical functions going on that keep our bodies alive and kicking.

Your Body’s Got Your Back

Our body is a wonderland, but most of what we know is only skin deep. Underneath the skin, there are endless fascinating biological and chemical functions going on that keep our bodies alive and kicking — each with its own complex processes that operate like an efficient internal administration. Let’s look at the quintessential job of breathing in and out that our body does, in a word, day in and day out. Recently, I had a 22-year-old female client with panic disorder who was constantly monitoring her every breath. She told me, “If I can’t control my breath, I’m afraid I’m going to pass out.” I explained to her that, try as she might, she can’t stop herself from breathing. I assured her that her body’s respiratory system had her covered and would not be so remiss as to leave her personally in charge of drawing each breath needed for survival. But she wouldn’t have it. She insisted that her inhalations and exhalations were something she had to monitor. This would certainly be a full-time job; the average adult takes about 22,000 breaths daily. When I asked her who was in the respiratory watchtower while she was asleep, she paused and said, “Ohhhh, wait a minute. I never thought of that!” 

A Body’s Work is Never Done

Your body is much more than a light post that holds up your headful of incoming and outgoing data. In fact, the number of tasks your body performs for you each day is so large that it’s unquantifiable. At any given instant, more than 2 billion natural killer cells (that’s the actual fierce, scientific term) are circulating throughout your body. These killer cells identify, corner and attack virus-infected cells and humbly and thanklessly protect you every day. In fact, research shows that even when damaged or cancerous cells sneak past our body’s safety net, our natural killer cells swoop in like Hatzolah first responders on the anti-tumor response team. Think of it, while you’re at Shabbat dinner or watching Netflix, your body’s immune system is the silent superhero saving you from dire disease. 

Your body also undertakes less warrior-like, more menial tasks. Consider the simple act of blinking — important custodial business that your nervous system oversees to keep your eyeballs clean and smooth and prevent them from drying out. The average person blinks 10-20 times per minute; that means your eyelids flicker about 15,000 thousand times daily without fault (without blinking an eye, if you will). What about when your body is on the run? In this case, we are using the nervous system, skeletal system, muscular system, respiratory system, and circulatory system all at once. That’s a whole lot of collaboration. Yet when was the last time we stopped to appreciate our body for running away from that big, scary dog or for holding us upright while standing in an interminably long line at Costco? 

A Merciful Friend

In truth, we more often mete out harsh punishment to our body than thank it. Americans reportedly lead more unhealthy lifestyles than anyone on the globe. When you consider how many nights we spend in front of the TV or on the phone mindlessly overindulging in a vat of popcorn or a tub of Häagen-Dazs, it’s a miracle that our bodies don’t scream “Pity, please!” and refuse one more swallow. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one person dies every 34 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women. But it’s incredible how long our bodies fight before succumbing. For instance, even after sucking cigarette smoke into our lungs for years, we begin to improve the moment we quit — our heart rate immediately drops and coughing and shortness of breath decrease. And within 15 years, the risk of heart disease reportedly decreases to that of a non-smoker. Talk about a merciful friend. 

Compounding the injustice our body endures, we often look upon it with disappointment and even disgust. We frequently insult our body for having the audacity to be overweight and then we subject it to the harsh redress of diets or starvation rather than treat it with love and compassion. Our bodies are accommodating and can easily forgive an occasional night of overdrinking or overeating, but a lifetime of such behavior estranges us from our body as though it’s a scary neighbor we don’t want to acknowledge. But our body is not the enemy. In fact, our mind and body are intimately connected, and integration is what leads to wholeness and wellness. When we accept our bodies, forgive them their flaws, and treat them with appreciation and temperance — they thrive.

He ultimately perceived his body as a friend who he could not abandon in its time of need. In his words, “I’ve got a lot more that’s right with my body than wrong with it.” It was a beautiful rediscovery. 

The Mind Body Connection

The relationship between physical and mental health is bidirectional. Shunning your body or feeling cheated by its suffering from illness or overweight can contribute to psychopathology and addiction. When body and mind are not integrated, it’s as though a stranger is living just below your neckline. Not long ago, I had a 56-year-old male client with prostate cancer experiencing depression who told me, “I feel like my body has double-crossed me. I can’t stand my cancerous body.” It took a good deal of work, but he finally came to a place of acceptance. He ultimately perceived his body as a friend who he could not abandon in its time of need. In his words, “I’ve got a lot more that’s right with my body than wrong with it.” It was a beautiful rediscovery. I mentioned earlier that your body is a wonderland. I got this catchy phrase from singer John Mayer, who probably had something a little more intimate in mind when he wrote the lyrics to that hit song. But be it through song or through prayer, it’s important to express gratitude to your perfect, miraculous body every day. One of the principal ideas behind reciting the Asher Yatzar prayer is that we shouldn’t wait until we are ill to value our health, but we should thank the Almighty for the wonder of our bodies daily — even if it means doing so on the way out of the loo.

Dr. Beverly Wertheimer is a meaning-centered and cognitive behavioral therapist, adjunct professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, and certified life coach and CEO at BeWorthy.com. Previously, she was a TV anchor and reporter at ABC and NBC affiliates, CNN Turner Entertainment, and Entertainment Tonight.