Your relationship to your own body has direct impact on your relationships with others. What you put in is what you get out . . . yahday yahdah, yahdah, we've all heard this before, but it's true in every sense. 
 
My name is Valentine Aprile and I am an actor and an artist. I've had the pleasure of a wonderful education in pretty much all the arts except playing musical instruments. I've come to a place in my life where I feel good about the way I feel physically, emotionally, aesthetically, and generally. I've noticed that this has helped my relationships thrive in a new way and I'd like to share with you how I've come to this. 
 
Ok, so let's talk about your relationship to your body. Let's get physical . . . with ourselves! Do you work out and eat well? Have you started taking Yoga classes or other fitness classes in anticipation of the summer and itty bitty bikinis? Do you work out in varying spurts or do you have a general set schedule? You know what's best, so why not just do it? Being in a class situation will make your brain work to follow and coordinate while doing the treadmill and weights can turn into a lovely meditation time. The more physical you are the better you feel about your body, your mind gets a work out too, and you get to glance around at other bodies while you're there. This makes us feel good and energized in our body and brain. Ready for anything . . . including dealing with other people. 
 
Now for some brief but serious food talk. What you put into it is what you get out of it. Not just metaphorically speaking but literally as well. For instance, if you eat fatty spicy meats, you'll fart smelly meat farts. Hmmm. Do you feel like going out on a date if you have farty pants? Not really. If you eat mostly fruits and veggies, not so much, so you're in the clear to go out, do whatever and not have to worry about embarrassing yourself. For those of you new to taking Yoga or other fitness classes, most instructors will tell you not to eat for at least an hour before you take a class, and only then a small snack like an orange or some crackers. Personally, as a former instructor I would recommend two hours especially if your diet is acid and/or meat heavy. 
 
You may have a lot of bad pent up air inside of you that your body will want to get rid of. You know what I mean: you start moving and twisting around and before you know it you've either got those cramped up farty pants again or they just come right on out and surprise you and everyone else in the room. Drink lots of water!!! Soda, coffee, and tea are all acids--not good for your skin, not good for your belly and not good for your mood. SO, they're not good for maintaining a happy disposition, which can make it a challenge to enjoy your relationships with others. 
 
I say all of this from firsthand experience. As a dancer and performer I have always been in good physical condition. However, my diet wasn't always so great. Over the course of a few years I have drastically changed what I put into my body . . . and guess what?! Everything else in my life has improved as well. Now, for the most part, my drama queen tendencies can be used when I need them for my work, and not on a day to day basis when dealing with family and friends. I can be my best every day. Being a single mother, this is very important to me as I, of course, want to set a good example for my daughter and also have a good loving relationship with her. This means I must have lots of good long lasting happy energy. 
 
If you're new to this concept or just want to take it to another level, I suggest working with a nutritionist who can create a diet specific for your needs, because not every body and mind is equal in terms of the nutrients it needs to perform at its best. Try consulting with a few nutritonists before choosing one and always look for the most recent cutting edge training as well as a good personality fit. While this person won't necessarily be your 'friend' you want to feel like you can tell him or her 'anything.' 
 
Always remember, physical activity and nutrition has a direct impact on behavior, learning, etc. For those of you who thought I was going to talk about something naughty . . . well . . . shame on you!! Not really though; sex is important even when you do it by yourself. It makes us happier people. So eat well, work-out in the gym (a trainer is always a good idea for newbies and next level-ers here too), take some FUN dance classes, whatever it takes for you to get in touch with your body and keep it in good physical condition. And have SEX! (safely, of course). YAY!
  
 
You can learn about me here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3091245/
http://www.youtube.com/HelloPetula
http://nytheatre.com/nytheatre/ff_rev200...
http://www.valentineaprile.com

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