You reach out to
turn the shower off, select a warm towel and wrap it gently around your body.
You walk over to the full length mirror, let the towel drop to the floor. You
stare, in awe at this incredible specimen reflected back at you. This familiar fleshy
friend that has carried you around, grown with you, provided you with breath
and has been witness to every single second, the highs, the lows. The texture
of your skin, every pore, every roll, the length of your arms, the way each
part links to the next, the cellulite, the hair, the scars. Your chest rises
with pride, your shoulders rest back & you feel truly overjoyed with every
fibre of your being. Perhaps this body has carried children and you can see
those silvery marks left behind by your baby. This body might have been
exploited, abused and survived. This body may have been celebrated, worshipped
and adored. Maybe this body has walked miles, swam lengths, climbed hills or
hiked mountains. Maybe this body has partied hard, given shelter, hugs and
comfort. You have such an overwhelming respect and love for your body as you
look at it & feel yourself present in this moment right now. And with this
glow of gratitude you get dressed, head out into the world and carry on with
your day.
So, not sure about
you but this hasn’t really been my experience of an average morning. I am a
sweet, sensitive soul, I’m a creative, I’m a white British straight 40 year old
woman, I’m a mum, I’m a wife, I’m a sister, a daughter, a good friend. I’ve
travelled, danced til sunrise, had ‘close shaves’ - not talking about facial
hair here, we’ve all put ourselves in silly situations & if we’re lucky
just got away with a lesson learned. I’ve been vulnerable, I’ve been incredibly
lucky, I’ve giggled ’til I’ve cried (and there was that time I wet myself).
I’ve loved, lost, had epiphanies & revelations, I’ve had life changing sad
news and found myself on the receiving end of such wonderful life gifts. But
how I feel about my body, how I judge it, how I obliviously measure it against
other bodies - whilst my perception of myself probably falls into a relatively
healthy category - I have been staggered by the shift that has recently taken
place within me.
What if we all
fell in love with our bodies? What would happen then? What if we were all so
empowered by simply looking in the mirror? Can you imagine?! Would we look
differently at those photoshopped images of young models with flawless skin,
perfect hair, tiny waists & gravity defying boobs trying to sell us
products that we don’t really need? What would happen if that ‘problem’ or
‘insecurity’ that the huge advertising agencies rely upon to communicate with
us, simply didn’t exist?
“Defy 7 signs of
aging” - Nah, I’m grand with my laughter lines & crows feet.
“Lose 12lb in 12
days” - Er, I’m cool with being this weight actually, thanks though.
“Don’t fear the
knife. Get younger, firmer, fitter & fight the flab” - You know, I’ve just
celebrated 4 decades on this planet & I don’t want to look like a weirdly
stretched, slightly startled teenager.
“Get straighter,
whiter teeth in just 3 sessions. Only £3,000” - Thanks, but no, I’m really
happy with the way I look.
After watching
& then becoming involved with spreading the word about this incredible body
positive, social impact documentary ‘Embrace’, those old cogs that turned the
wheels of my mind, my self image, my body image, have been completely disrupted
- in the best possible way. It is a work in progress for sure, but I feel that
those other thoughts, you know the ones: ‘Eurgh’, ‘what happened to these?’
’Hate the way this hangs over here..’ ‘If I could just loose..’ ‘I’m too
wrinkly’ ‘If this bit was more toned..’ ‘I wish my legs didn’t touch at the
top..’ ‘I just need to drop a few..’ they actually don’t sound right or ring
true in my head anymore. When I occasionally catch myself yearning for a
tighter this or perkier that, I feel like a bit of a dick.. It really doesn’t
matter what size or how old you are, this is a very personal, individual
psychological journey. And the great thing is, you can’t un-see this stuff, you
can’t un-hear these messages. I urge you to search out this film, grab a
friend, go & watch it - it will uplift you, it will shock you, it will free
you & fill you with joy, it will break your brain - in the best possible
way.
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