New Year, New Beginnings

A few days ago I was in my car, driving down a street I've driven down a thousand times. So, needless to say I was on autopilot and my brain was freed up to think about some things that have been swirling around for a while.

In my work and as a woman I am constantly privy to body image conversations. Sometimes they are with clients, sometimes they are with friends, sometimes they are in my head or laments to my husband. Always they are about not being able to attain some idea that came along at some point in time to the the vocalizers mind.

The conversations are tender and raw and scary and sad. They reflect our perceived failure to look and therefore feel a certain way. "I'll be happy when I lose 10lbs." "I will meet the man of my dreams when I can get rid of this cellulite." "If only everyone wasn't staring at the crows feet around my eyes."

But since when are these things we are lamenting inherently BAD??? Since when is not meeting the exact standard of a weight watcher's calculation your failure? Since when are laugh lines around your eyes a sign of failure? Since when does a completely natural part of your body like cellulite instigate shame in your heart?

Why are we no encouraged to embrace the movement of our body, not just through space but through time?! Why are we not encouraged to look at ourselves in the mirror in order to get to know the body standing in front of us? And what if we did? What if we stood before ourselves with eyes and heart wide open so that we could really see and get to know the bodies that house our wounded souls?
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What do you think it would feel like to take the time to observe your body, its changes through the days and the years, how it feels and what makes it feel good or sick, what it is capable of accomplishing when your mind is fully supportive of your body. What would it feel like to look at yourself in the mirror and acknowledge that it is the only body in the world that is like this. And this body is perfect the way it is, the only thing you need to do to make it the most amazing body ever, is to nourish it, accept it for being uniquely yours and to love the hell out of it.