Confession: I have a happy rock. I go to sleep holding it almost every night. I promise there's a reason why.
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How Carrying Extra Weight is a Brilliant Defense. Can fat serve as a subconscious protective barrier?
When we know our bodies aren’t as healthy, vivacious, or as alive as we want, and when that looks like excess fat cells, inflammation, or water retention there is a subconscious story possibly at play. Becoming aware of this story can give you some more compassion for yourself, for your body, and for why you can’t seem to feel totally healthy right now. The Story: At one point in many women’s* lives they were radiant, open, embodied, and comfortable. Then they experienced something that made them feel unsafe. Often this comes in the form of unwanted sexual attention. I give unwanted sexual attention a very broad definition to include sexual assault, unwanted touch, subtle looks, remarks, or any moment that you feel unsafe in your body. All the times it didn’t feel safe to say "no", or when your "no" wasn’t honored, impact your feeling of safety greatly. Look for my future blog about "Where's your "No" at?" to hear more about the importance of "no", and how we can reclaim it. *see footnote Seeing myself in the mirror used to be a big trigger point, a time when I would scrutinize my body and check in on all the parts that were wrong, that I needed to fix, that I rejected.
All the work I’ve done culminated in an exquisite moment over the summer. I had just showered, and as I took off my towel to hang it up to dry I saw myself, naked, in the full length mirror. The way I felt as I looked at my reflection was a revelation! Overcome with this feeling of joy, of enthusiasm, I looked at my body and felt such admiration. I looked at my face in the mirror and smiled. My eyes were sparkling. I said, "Oh my goodness! You are so beautiful!" I laughed. I felt like I was glowing. Like the body I saw before me was powerful beyond measure. Like every inch was a masterpiece. The “flaws” I usually saw before were there, but they were no longer flaws, now they were treasures. |
Author:Makayla McDonald is a Body Image Coach who lives in Boulder, Colorado. She is passionate about connecting to freedom and peace for herself and for all of her community! Archives
October 2016
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