Radical Body Acceptance
I want to talk for a minute about radical body acceptance, and just how BADASS it is to actually accept your body as it is.
First, we all need to be on the same page about the undeniable truth about where we all are in relationship to our bodies, collectively and individually, as a result of this pandemic.
Fact #1: No one has been spared by this.
Sure, some of us have had it harder than others. For sure, some of us have had substantial loss and tragedy and heartbreak. Some of us have lost so much. Some of us have held enough worry to hold the entire world in our hearts.
But none of us, truly NONE OF US, no matter how hard we want to believe otherwise, have been untouched by covid.
Fact #2: We have all experienced some level of trauma and loss.
Unless you live as a self-sustaining hermit in the forest, it is a simple truth that we all have some level of trauma coming out of this. The intensity of the election cycle, the loss of friends and family, getting Covid, losing your job, losing friends and family to conspiracy theories, and the list goes on.
Fact #3: Trauma lives in the body.
The old view of trauma was that it lived in the brain, and that trauma was limited to soldiers who went into combat situations. Or worse, that trauma experienced in childhood just “disappeared” as you grew older.
New models make it clear: trauma is far more complex, and more far reaching than that.
In order to process and release the trauma you hold, the mind AND the body need to be cared for.
Some of that means building back strength.
Some of that means intentionally moving the body.
Some of that means just a lot of rest.
Some of that means talking about it.
Some fo that means getting therapy and support to work through it.
And most of it, the real work, is the badass bravery of going against everything you’ve been taught about what your body is supposed to be.
And instead taking the new view of the body.
And ACCEPTING THE BODY AS IT IS.
That is not something that just happens.
It takes work.
It takes a commitment to be WILLING to allow yourself to love your body.
It takes a concerted effort to block out media, and imagery, and your own friends and family that tell you there is a certain way for a woman’s body to look.
And it’s just literally the most badass woman thing we can do for ourselves.
And for our kids.
And for each other.
Because when we are able to accept our bodies AS THEY ARE, we accept ourselves, and we accept each other.
And life and living is just a lot easier.
And it’s entirely possible. For all of us.
I’m starting this conversation here, but gosh there is SO MUCH TO SAY. So just sit tight. If you want to read on, I posted recently about this in Body Positivity + Movement.
And if you want to bring this into your life, in a real and meaningful way, PM me or keep following along. I’m bringing this work into each and every one of my classes. It’s just that important, friend.
See you on the mat, friend.
