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"It is helpful to realize that this
very body we have, with its aches and pleasures is exactly what we need
to be fully human, fully awake and fully alive." - Pema Chodron
This month I'd like to share with you an excerpt from an article by
actress Sheila Kelley, founder of the S Factor, an aerobic striptease class
and pole dancing workout for women. Sheila's classes are designed to help
empower, enlighten and change women's lives through rediscovering
forgotten parts of ourselves and connecting with our "inner erotic
creature".
I haven't quite made it to an S-factor class yet, but I'm intrigued and I
was happy to see on the website that she has videos of the class that you
can purchase and use in the privacy of your own home! I might just try
that first. (For more information, visit www.sfactor.com).
When I came across her article in the September/October 2007 edition of The
Dr. Christiane Northrup Newsletter (www.drnorthrup.com), I was
really moved by how Sheila talked about women and our relationship to our
bodies. She has a lot of wisdom to share. I've included some excerpts
from the article below. I hope you find it enlightening and empowering!
"Forget your bank account, your house, your jewelry. Your body is
your greatest asset. She's your girl, your confidante, your best friend,
your baby, your lover, your nurturer and your slave. She does things for
you that you don't even think about or necessarily appreciate. She houses
you, gives you a home on this planet, tastes your food, cries your tears,
breathes for you, pumps your blood, hears the good and bad news, smiles
for you, communicates for you - she's vulnerable, your body. She only
wants to make you happy. She only wants to keep you alive. She will do
anything you tell her to do within her range. She only wants to make you
love her. She only wants to make you proud of her.
"And what do we do for her in return? I know one thing, we criticize
her and we judge her. We stare at her in the mirror after a shower and
think how big our bellies are getting or how ugly our cellulite is or how
jiggly our butts are. ~ Someone pays you a complement like "You've
got great legs," and you say, "Oh, no, they're too thick,"
instead of a simple thank-you and a proud touch to the leg.
"We sometimes keep food from her or shove too much in her, depending
on our mood. ~ We put things in her mouth to make us feel good when we're
having a bad day.
"Before you feed her, before you judge her or criticize her, ask
yourself, "Would I do this or say this to my child?" And if you
did call her "fat" or "ugly" or "too
skinny" or "too jiggly", consider how it would affect a
child. She'd grow up feeling pretty bad about herself, wouldn't she? It's
a form of body abuse.
"We have gifts to learn from our male counterparts and S Factor,
like how to love and appreciate a female body. How to admire it and
praise it and nurture it and worship it. Think about it. We, as women,
are the greatest empaths, nurturers, lovers and compassionates. We, who
feel so deeply for others, now we need to turn that sensitivity on
ourselves. Find your empathy for this glorious miracle of a body that has
carried your old soul around this planet for 20, 30, 40, 50, or even 60
to 100 years. Your body deserves a damn medal, woman! A medal of honor, a
medal of bravery, and a medal for manual labor (needs no explanation). It
ain't easy keeping us alive.
"That body you live in is taking you along for the wonderful ride of
life. It's the only body you are ever going to have. The choice is yours:
love her and protect her or stay trapped in the vicious circle of self-
judgment and criticism. Your body is a walking miracle, a wild work of
art of major proportions. Treat her that way."
--Sheila Kelly, "Sizzle Your Way to Body Bliss-dom," in The
Dr. Christiane Northrup Newsletter, No. 17, Sept/Oct 2007.
"You will always return to the body, where the essential work of
transformation takes place. Transformation is through the body, not away
from it." - - Eckhart Tolle
Many blessings and love to your body,
Carol
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