Ohmygoddess!
LOOK at your body.
I mean, LOOK at it!
Really.
Look at it.
What do you see?
Do you see beauty?
Flaws?
Flab?
I was having dinner with a friend in the Hamptons on Saturday night, and there was a moment when we were in her bedroom, getting ready for a party, and reviewing and comparing our thighs.
Questioning our thighs.
Criticizing our thighs.
And the thing is- both of us have really awesome thighs.
But we were not looking at the awesome.
We were flaw surfing.
Until we came to our senses.
But, the pull to criticize is so great, that you can get sucked under the giant wave before you see it coming.
With all the changes a woman’s body goes through as we grow up, develop and then ages, and society’s norms of what is beautiful, and the media, and on and on, how how how do we truly-madly-deeply love this body-right here, right now?
How do we perpetually and ongoingly fall in love with our bodies…as we change and evolve over a lifetime?
How Do You Navigate the Body “Woman”? And feel spectacularly beautiful every single day that we have the privilege of being alive?
Let me introduce our gorgeous and fabulous panelists for this week: Rebecca, Bernadette, and Rose. In the video below, they are generous enough to share their own experiences as they navigated their ups and downs through the Womanly Art of Owning Your Beauty, and found themselves ready, willing and able to fall in love with themselves.
Stay tuned after the video, because just below, our ladies answer your direct questions!
Now that you know have had a chance to connect with our ladies, let’s see how they have addressed some of your issues.
How do you handle growing older as a woman when you’re starting to feel invisible but are still young and pretty?
Bernadette
When starting to feel invisible it’s time for switch things up: Go on dates with Sister Goddesses. Get yourself a sexy dress and wear it! Take a dance class. Dance and play more and for Gods sake FLIRT!!!! With any and everyone!
How do you stay positive and motivated if something you want is taking longer than expected to obtain?
Rebecca
Treat yourself like a baby: I treat myself and talk to myself the way I talk to my children…. with love, tolerance and compassion. I realize that my weight is a layer of protection and I trust that at this stage of my life I still need it for a host of reasons. I have been thin in my life and I have been heavy. I will return to my ideal weight when I am internally ready to handle the protective armor I created for myself. Be gentle with yourself. Criticism and harsh words will not bring you to a happier place. Only with patience and love and pleasure will you be able to be comfortable in your own skin at any weight, and ultimately arrive at the weight you desire.
Also, Get your shit out and Spring clean! I am an emotional eater. Food is an exquisite drug. It removes discomfort instantaneously. I choose now to release negative charge and thinking by spring cleaning not eating. I reach out to sister goddess and call them. Connect with people: Isolation doesn’t serve me any more. I had a suffocating controlling boyfriend for 7 years after my ex. With each year I gained about 12 pounds ….. do the math ….that a lot of emotions not dealt with. If I had the tools and self-knowledge I possess today I wouldn’t have had to go through such physical devastation.
How do you handle aging gracefully?
Bernadette
It’s important to be elegant (you don’t want to be that person dressing like a 20 year old when you’re 55…but, you certainly WANT to be that woman who makes the 20 year old know that 55 can look really really good. To do this, celebrate where you are. Take care of your body. You must exercise, eat well, smile and have sex as much as possible!
How do I become happy and comfortable in my own skin?
Rebecca
Mirror Mirror on the wall. You become comfortable in your own skin by loving every crevice of your body. First it seems staged and artificial but just like Mama taught me, I began looking in the mirror and praising myself. Touching my body and complimenting myself. At first this was so foreign as I have spent my life at every weight and always managed my body in a very tyrannical way. Start with any area you truly love and slowly over time add on body parts. Even if it is uncomfortable, do it; and fall in love with your reflection!!!
How does one feel “juicy” when going through periodic “flooding” in the menopause time.
Bernadette
Oy!!! Flooding is no picnic. Really! But, being angry about it doesn’t help… trust me I know. Make up fun sayings for your flashes “I’m so HOT (as in sexy)…it’s RIDICULOUS!!! Or “This sweat has the honor of rolling down every delicious curve of my body…how lucky”. You simply have to have fun with it. Being angry and menopausal is not an attractive state for you or anyone else.
I’ve gained weight, can’t stand what I see in the mirror and none of my clothes fit. Talk about self-hatred! I’m at the gym four days a week and eating like a monk, which will hopefully work in the long run. How do I survive mentally in the meantime?
Rebecca
You aren’t your fat. Surround yourself with people that see your insides first. Sister Goddesses come in all shapes and sizes. They will love and support you where your at. Being honored for who you are and not by your clothing size is the most exquisite starting place to find self love and create change for yourself. This is a rare community of women. Take advantage of it.
Wasn’t that unbelievably eye-opening, helpful and seriously inspiring? Want more? Rebecca and Bernadette have agreed to come online for the next few days and interact with your comments!
In the comments below, please share your story, ask a follow up question, and if you’ve got tips and stories to contribute as you read others, please do so. I can’t wait to see you on the blog!
Thank you all. I love our community and I am so glad to be in this particular conversation with hot, sexy, gorgeous YOU.
With so much love and pleasure,
Mama Gena