Summer is like a buffet for body triggers: Soft reflections from the ocean on body image, identity, duality, and longing
Good morning beautiful soul. I’m writing this slowly. Tenderly. Thoughtfully.
I don’t usually write first thing on a Monday, but something came through yesterday around identity, duality, and self-image that I wanted to share.
I went to the beach yesterday with Chris to escape the summer heat. The weather was stunning, the ocean was gentle and friendly, clear and so perfectly swimmable.
It was also quite crowded.
I found myself observing SO many bodies. All different sizes and shapes. All different humans with different realities and life experiences.
I saw many women with what I considered to be “perfect” features. Features that hold a lot of story for me.
I found myself slipping into comparison, fantasy, and longing.
I started feeling frustrated and a bit sad that it was happening seemingly out of nowhere and “taking me out of my perfect beach day experience,” but this was clearly part of the experience that needed to happen.
I realized that body image triggers may never be something that we entirely transcend.
And maybe the expectation that we should be past ever being triggered creates even more resistance when it happens.
That extra resistance to the feeling pulls us further out of ourselves. Deeper into the quicksand.
Because now you’re not only feeling triggered, you’re feeling bad about having the feeling.
So instead, can you be WITH the feeling?
Can you allow it while you’re also feeling the joy of the beautiful day, the sun on your face, the warmth of the breeze, the love of your family, the love that you have for yourself and your own body… AND hold the feeling of being triggered and experiencing longing…
Can you make enough room for it to all exist?
Can you stay with yourself, breathing grace and ease into your body and allowing the edges to soften?
Can you return to yourself during the challenging feelings? Allowing them to have their moment and then wash through you with every wave.
The present moment is spacious enough to gently hold all of it.
I know how highly complex body image, beauty, and identity can be.
You can deeply love your body and still experience longing.
You can feel beautiful and still have moments of comparison.
You can have a beautiful day and still encounter something painful within yourself.
There is room for all of it.
And if something around your body, beauty, self-image, aging, or identity has been on your heart lately, you can bring it to a virtual Beauty Clarity Session.
We’ll start with what’s present and let the session unfold from there.
Our time together might include guidance, restorative facial or body practices, and energy healing. It’s a time for you to soften, receive support, arrive at more clarity, and move forward with ease.
