When you look in a mirror what do you see?
Through the years I have had a rollercoaster of emotions attached to the image in the mirror staring back at me.
Love.
Loathing.
Desire for change.
Beating my body into submission for unattainable standards.
It wasn’t until my therapist suggested touching my body and thanking the individual parts for carrying me through life that I began to question the way I see my reflection in the mirror.
What if we began to treat our bodies with love right now?
What if we stopped saying I’ll do or buy blank when I lose the weight?
What if we began to live fully in our bodies?
Being sidelined from certain activities due to a recent surgery has me longing for the ocean. I want to take my paddle board out and explore new locations.
With summer on the horizon I began to look at board shirts and surf shirts for the adventure ahead. It was the first time ever that I didn’t worry about the size or what my legs would look like instead I was searching for comfort and style.
Just a few days after making my purchase a friend suggested if she wanted to go on vacation somewhere tropical next year she better get serious about losing weight so she can get into a bathing suit.
Normally I wouldn’t have said anything but, I felt the pull of that old negative programing we have about our bodies. This idea about our bodies NOT being good enough unless they are a specific size or shape. Instead of cosigning her comment I said “Or just build confidence in the body you already have. Life’s too short to beat yourself up.”
No response but, hopefully a seed planted.
The rewiring process is going to take time.
The disassociation we have with our bodies did not happen over night. Some of the wounds come from childhood messaging and others are from the things we consume in magazines, television and social media. We have to be aware of the negative messaging and we MUST do the work to cultivate love of the bodies we have today.
I personally struggle with the mixed messaging online. There is a lot of body positivity movements that tell us to embrace the fat and then there are the movements to beat our bodies into submission. For my own mental health I had to unfollow a lot of accounts because I am someone who needs movement for my mental health and yet, I am also someone who struggles with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) which makes losing weight difficult.
Learning to find your own balance is key in this journey but, what I am realizing more than ever is the importance to be connected with your body. Learning to love my body and all it has carried me through in this lifetime. Being disassociated from our bodies is unhealthy and hard. I want to look in the mirror and see the beauty NOT just the flaws.
I may not have a daughter but, I do have nieces and I want them to be kinder to their bodies than I was growing up. I want them to love themselves and take care of their bodies in a healthy way. This is even harder now with social media but, I believe the more we grow in this area the better the next generation can be with self love and self care (daily habits of treating your mind, body and soul with kindness and love).
So, again what do you see when you look in the mirror?
Do you still say unhealthy mean things to yourself?
Maybe today is the day that you begin to thank your body for all it has done to get you here today.
And if you don’t struggle with this take time to be thankful because you are AMAZING!!!
Dr. Ramani Durvasula says she “recognized that health was not just about addressing behaviors and habits but also to look hard at the narratives that shape our health and our habits. This wasn’t about protein instead of pastries, or hours in the gym. This is about re-crafting my narrative, and the recognition that health, weight, eating, and body image are an evolving narrative for all women.”
My hope and prayer is for all women (including myself) to find more freedom with regards to their health and body image.
