Whatever the relative cause of pain and suffering in life may be, the absolute cause is the Great Separation, which left many of us vulnerable to disappointment, abuse and abandonment.  The more sensitive at heart one is or becomes, the larger a body one needs to have in order to feel protected. Those with sensitive hearts whose bodies are hyper-metabolic and very thin (Ayurveda calls them Vata body types) have little means for physical protection, and their nervous system can suffer great stress or breakdown under duress. To compensate for this, they usually seek others to protect them. 

 Neither situation, however, is seen as negative. A large size body may be about the only thing that can keep a heart starved of love and self-worth from breaking. The protective, dense body mass allows the heart to feel safe until such time that trust returns and defensiveness subsides. When it happens, love is naturally directed towards oneself. In the case of the overly thin person, a nervous breakdown may serve as an act of protection for the heart. With the breakdown comes the opportunity to break free of old fears and attachments that are no longer helpful or necessary. 

Self-love not only dissolves guilt and judgments held inside but it also ends up as chemical messages that direct the body to improve its digestive and metabolic functions. At the same time, this self-directed love generates an increased desire for proper nourishment, cleansing of the organs, and a more natural lifestyle, all of which helps to melt away the layers of the protective shield. In the case of the Vata type, all of these things help him/her to grow more healthy tissue and to feel nourished and safe. A friend of mine lost 80 pounds in one year simply because she began to value herself more. When she saw the beauty in herself she introduced changes in her life that reflected her increased self-worth. Today she is a very attractive and desirable woman. She always was worthy and beautiful but she needed to know that, too.