(Me on holiday in Jamaica 🙂 Check out the palm trees in my sunglasses!)

 

 

 

So lets talk about Body Image.

As women and men in western society, the realities of what we are expected to look like are all too often shoved in our faces.

In my lifetime I have seen the representation of diverse groups increase in the Media, and yet it is no where near where it should be.

I have nieces, and as they grow up I understand how much what they are ‘supposed’ to look like affects them.

So today, I want to talk about how we can improve our relationship with our own bodies and faces no matter what they look like.

As someone who is nearing 6ft tall, with big afro hair and a thing for wearing heels, I have always stood out.

As an ethnic minority in Britain, I have stood out since I was born.

I’ve been told by past boyfriends and friends and family how unique/weird looking I am.

As  a child I was called ugly by girls at school who had a problem with how I looked.

I attribute all these reactions to ‘me’  as being the reason why I have actually always been extremely comfortable with how I look.

I understood from a young age the power of confidence in yourself beyond what you look like.

I  also understood if I didn’t get behind who I am and what I look like, who else would?

I too also understand however, that many men and women do not feel like this about themselves at all.

For many people liking what they see in the mirror is a challenge if not an impossibility.

This makes me so unbelievably sad.

I see women miss out on the enjoyment of food so as not to put on an ounce of weight.

I see women hide their shapes in baggy clothes so as to not draw attention to those curves.

So here are a few tips on how to not just be comfortable with yourself, but start to be happy with the way you look.

 

1)  You are a soul having a human experience.

 

One of India Arie’s  hits is a song called: “I Am Not My Hair“, the chorus goes:

“I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within”

 

It sits perfectly with the spiritual belief that we as human beings, are actually souls that inhabit a human body only for a time.

This belief encourages us to look beyond the physical and value what lies within.

This can be applied to how you look at your body.

Your body is important in that it carries you through life, you must look after it with rest and exercise and food, but it is by no means who you are in its entirety.

If you can start to see yourself as a sacred entity you can place less value on what you look like to the world because, who you are on the inside is by the law of nature, beautiful, enduring and deserving.

 

2) Variety is the spice of life

 

Your unique look is what makes you beautiful. Your imperfections and oddities are what make you wonderful.

We marvel at the beauty of a snowflake because no one is the same, apply this to yourself.

Just as most of us enjoy a variety of different food and interests, so do all of us enjoy a variety of different looks that we find attractive.

The world is made up of differences in humans and nature, this isn’t an accident.

Celebrate your differences.

 

3)Express yourself

 

I really enjoy expressing myself with the clothes I wear, or the way that I do my hair.

However I feel the most beautiful and authentically me when I write.

Express yourself creatively in anyway you see fit.

Dance, Sing, write, paint – whatever sets you free inside.

By indulging in yourself as a powerful being that can create, you will begin to understand that if you can make beauty, then surely you are beauty.

 

 

 

These are not the usual tips you will see in women’s magazines, these are spiritual tips that encourage you to love yourself as you are – no change necessary.

I hope you have enjoyed them, and feel you can apply even one idea to your life.

Much love Txx