Love Yourself, Own Your Life

Dr. Tieraona Low Dog

I believe that real health begins with loving yourself physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We only get one life to live, and you should own it.

— Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.

I’ve been listening to women throughout my entire career. I’ve listened to their stories and each one is as unique as the woman who shared it. But I tell you that there’s a common thread that comes through all of it to me- there is this underlying sense that women really don’t love themselves. I’m not even sure how many of them really like themselves. They come in and they ask questions about hormones for aging. They ask about Botox and diets and how to lose weight. They’re concerned about their appearance and their health. I always ask one question, “Could to share with me one thing that you take care of, that you don’t like?” Women usually look at me and they say, “What?” I say. “Just one thing that you lovingly tend, that you just lovingly care for, that you can’t stand.” My experience tells me that most women don’t take care of their bodies very well because we don’t really like our bodies. We don’t love our bodies. We’re looking for everything on the outside that might make us feel like we look a little bit better. There’s nothing wrong with looking good, that’s not what I’m saying. But underneath, women are looking for love and looking for that sense of being complete. This drives women to spend billions and billions of dollars on an industry designed for beauty and anti‑aging. I think it’s why many women get into bad relationships. They’re looking for love. They’re looking for all the things outside of themselves that can only be filled from the inside. My sense is that if women really want to experience wholeness and wellness and healing, then it starts with owning that this is our life. This is my life. It belongs to me. I’m responsible for it. I love my life and I love who I am and this vessel that carries me through it. Women have got to shed many of those expectations, what your parents want you to be, and what your husband wants you to be, and what you think your boss wants you to be at work and fully step into who you were born to be and who you are called to be. That is when you fall in love with who you are, and that’s I believe, where real health comes from.