Kate Moynihan, Luna Garcia, Lia Bernardo: Love to Be Me
Dr. Lia Bernardo, Kate Moynihan-Gonzalez, and Luna Garcia’s BodyLove program helps parents embrace and love the bodies they’ve been blessed with.
This story about Dr. Lia Bernardo, Kate Moynihan-Gonzalez, and Luna Garcia’s BodyLove program first came out in Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition available on https://sarisari.shopping/.
Parents often find themselves under pressure about a number of things, physical appearance being one of them. This societal expectation can take a toll on one’s self-esteem, especially in an era where social media has curated the Instagram-perfect mom (and dad). Thankfully, we have seen some changes over the years, with the launch of body positivity programs that encourage men and women to accept the changes their body goes through as they mature and get older. Take Dr. Lia Bernardo, Kate Moynihan-Gonzalez, and Luna Garcia, who launched the BodyLove program in March 2023, as an example. Their approach to body positivity is more holistic – involving body, mind, and being.
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.
A journey to radical self-acceptance
Lia, known as the Happiness Doctor and founder of Atma Prema Wellbeing Group, tells Modern Parenting about the program’s origins. “BodyLove is a deep dive into self-acceptance and healing. All the programs I have ever put together are based on my personal journey and the methods I used for my own growth. BodyLove came about because even after many years of teaching self-love, I still had a hard time loving and accepting my own body. BodyLove is as deeply personal to me as the Self-Love Solution (SLS) which is really an embodiment of my life’s work.”
“It was inspired [by the idea of addressing] radical self-acceptance,” Luna explains. “[To understand] that experiences, family systems, limiting beliefs, the environment we are surrounded with, and our way of thinking all have a connection to how body image is perceived.”
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.
Loving your body is healing
“I think it’s relevant to say that in BodyLove there is no diet—it is about befriending your body and releasing all the trauma. It is about listening to the body because it is your most accurate compass,”
explains Lia. “BodyLove was created so that we can untether ourselves from [childhood] trauma, conditioning and conforming.”
“The commonality I observe with regards to physical appearance is that people want to have features
that another person has,” Luna says. “People want to conform to what society dictates to feel accepted,
and as part of the collective.”
In the social media era, how does the program help people with confidence? “We experience freedom from our sovereignty. BodyLove is not the only way but it is certainly a highly bespoke and effective way towards acceptance,” Lia states. “You have to celebrate your uniqueness as individuals. Each person lives differently and that’s a beautiful thing.”
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.
BodyLove and parenting
“The power each parent has on how they choose self-love through breaking generational trauma and toxic social norms is what our children will emulate,” Luna shares. Being a parent can take its toll, especially since parenting is often lauded by being selfless. This doesn’t have to be the case. Of course, we dedicate our lives to our families, but we can definitely love and care for ourselves at the same time.”
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.
BodyLove is self-care and self-love
“BodyLove is a sharing of my deep dive into the biggest part of me that was the most difficult to
love, accept, honor and celebrate,” Lia mentions.
“We have to listen to our bodies as much as we have to take care of it. Being attuned to our physical being is just as important as being connected to our souls. It is our essence as human beings,” Kate imparts.
Luna concludes, “Get to know your body first, listen to what it needs, then begin by having an empowered relationship with yourself – body, mind, and being.”
To read the full article, grab a copy of Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition. It’s available on sarisari.shopping. Or you can download the e-Magazine from Readly or Press Reader.
More about self-love?
Waxing Poetic on Beauty and Self-Care
Dr. Lia Bernardo: Raising a Child in Self-Love
Lia Andrea Ramos of Glamourbox: Beauty is Power and Self-Discovery
