Be not ashamed of your body
UPCOMING EVENT
Join Nikki for a discussion on body image and self-worth next Wednesday in London: How to Break Free of Body Shame
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Dear Electric Woman,
We have a job to do.
It's time for a radical celebration of our unique, glorious bodies.
Why?
Because 89% of women today are unhappy with their bodies.
Because there are 10 million people suffering from eating disorders around the world.
Because most of the women I speak with are perfectionists or hold themselves to impossibly high standards.
With this comes a subtle (and not so subtle) shaming of ourselves, which seeps into the way we feel about our bodies.
We are at war with our bodies.
We are ignoring the power and splendour of the female body.
I've struggled with body image for most of my life. When I was 12, I was told I looked too heavy on the tennis court. From there the self-shaming began. What followed was 20 years of diets, binges, buying expensive clothes that were always a little too tight so I could diet into them, and the feeling that my body is absolutely unacceptable.
At times, I still struggle. My body is the first thing that I lash out on if I'm in fear, needing to control something or going through lots of change. It's a habitual go-to for me. It's what I've known. Recently I was having old thoughts of 'I'm not thin enough, not fit enough, not beautiful enough, not like a supermodel'. Oh, hello again dear Perfectionist.
And so I wrote a letter from my body to me:
Dear Nikki,
Please see me as the most beautiful body in the world, I am yours. I am designed perfectly for you, I am your mothers bum, your grandmothers breasts, I am the tallest from all the women gone before you, I am strong and will do anything you ask me. I know I'm your easiest target and something you can do a quick fix on with the diets and excessive exercise. Yet you've lived that life and it's painful. Stand tall today, allow my wisdom to guide you. Lean in to me. I'll show you how to love me. Listen. Let me lead you and I'll tell you what I want to eat, drink, do. Follow me, you won't be disappointed.
And I never am.
When I tap into my body wisdom like this, I feel reassured and strong. I feel less of a need to want to change it. I come back to my power.
At Electric Woman we want to encourage all women to listen to and accept their body on a deeper level. To begin to heal the split between our mind and body, and to stop rejecting ourselves in this painful way. Vanessa Metcalf, Intuitive Coach at Electric Woman says: "We have to build a bridge and repair the relationship with our body, to listen to and be sensitive to it. To stop blaming it and rejecting it, and stop equating our value with the shape and size of our body. This does not determine our true worth as a woman."
She suggests we need to build a healthy relationship with our body, to respect and befriend it so that we can feel more comfortable in our own skin and benefit from our inner guidance. And so that we can focus on what really matters to us instead of being tied up in critical thoughts and painful feelings about ourselves. Some ways to do this:
1. Body attunement
Take specific time to meditate on, feel into, and connect with your body. Notice any physical sensations, thoughts, or emotions that surface and just sit with them. Breathe deeply and put your hands on your body (often one over your heart and one over your solar plexus) and just allow yourself to feel. Remain as open as possible to where your thoughts, memories or emotions guide you. In this way, your body will tell you a story about what you are holding on to, what is causing you pain and discomfort.
2. Getting grounded
Ask your body what it needs, how does it want to move and exercise? Consider walks in nature, restorative yoga, being gentle with your body, listen to how it wants you to move. Your body will always tell you the truth.
3. Writing from your body to you to start and develop the dialogue
a.k.a. the body letter
Sit down with a pen and paper and close your eyes, take some deep breaths and get centred in your body. Imagine your body has a voice, what does it want to say? Begin writing. Try to channel your body's voice vs. your what you think your mind wants to say about your body.
At Electric Woman we are starting a new kind of conversation that aims to transform body image, to break free of body shaming and embrace body positivity. Join Nikki next Wednesday in London to discuss how to break free of body shame.
If you would like to go deeper to explore your self-worth and power as a woman, please email us for a free consultation at hello@electricwoman.com
New!
90-minute Soul Sessions with our Intuitive Spiritual Guide Vanessa Metcalf. Get deeper insight into what's going on in your life, clarity around your choices and your direction. Email Vanessa@electricwoman.com for more information and to book your reading today.
Photo by Katie Julia