It’s probably the wrong time of year for this, but you might be looking forward to some winter sun, so I have something to say on the subject of “beach bodies”.
You may have noticed that women in particular (but men as well) are encouraged to lose weight and become “beach ready”, as if our normal bodies are not fit to be seen in public. Nope, I’m not falling for that – if I’ve got a bikini on, then, by definition, my body is beach-ready, thanks 🙂
Some of the things that yoga, (and any exercise regime) is great for:
- Improved body image
- Appreciating the strength and utility of your body, whatever size or shape you are
- Learning to do things you had no idea you were capable of
- Getting in touch with what a great piece of equipment your body actually is!
Exercise of any type can help you lose weight, look a certain way, etc. but that’s not the half of it – it’s about how you feel inside, and when you feel strong, healthy and fit, you just straight-up feel better*
Being “body positive” is about appreciating the body you’re in. If you feel overweight, or have limited mobility, have just had a baby, or haven’t ever really exercised before, you can still inhabit your body with ease and comfort, and then start to push yourself a little further on the road to strength, flexibility, and yes, even weight loss if that’s what you want.
There was a yogi in the news recently, Dana Falsetti….(see pic)
…who says something I totally agree with, and have posted about before on the website:
“Many people think they need to be thin, flexible, or strong to practice yoga. Please, hear me when I say that yoga is for everybody. Bodies change and evolve every single day, and the physical practice is simply a manifestation of the internal change”
What an inspiring woman – let’s take a leaf out of her book, and not judge ourselves too harshly (there are plenty of people who’ll do that for us!).
Let’s celebrate what we CAN do with our bodies, rather than concentrating on our perceived deficiencies, and lets wear our bikinis and crop tops and short skirts if we want to – anybody who would like to make a comment about it can watch our big old bums, wobbly bits and thunder thighs sashay happily into the distance towards our positive futures 🙂 Frankly, they can kiss my dimply ass. 🙂
*BTW, I have clients who are suffering from long-term debilitating illnesses, and I’m here to tell you, you really CAN benefit from whatever exercise you’re able to do….
