Christine Marie Mason, host of The Rose Woman podcast and author of “Reverence” and “The Nine Gifts,” shares her tips for self-love and rejecting body shame.
Body shame is a form of self-rejection. It takes a tremendous amount of energy, produces a lot of negative self-talk, and inhibits our joy. Body shame can get in the way of happy eating, confident dressing, and can limit what activities we choose to do. Taboos stemming from social and religious taboos can even stop us from asking important personal health questions, especially sexual ones or ones related to female anatomy.
Women report that body shame is the number one block to relaxation and enjoyment in their intimate relationships. When it comes to reproductive and sexual health and pleasure, there is often confusion, concern, pain, and discomfort present that people don’t talk about, in all ages and stages of life.
As you step into self-love, here are some questions you can ask yourself and journal about:
- Are there any parts of my body I reject or judge? What would life be like if that changed?
- Are there any messages that my body’s functions are dirty or shameful? What would it feel like to let those go?
- What good beliefs do I have about my body? How can I amplify those?
- What beliefs do I want to end with me? How can I pass on my wisdom and not my suffering?
When we can look at and love our bodies, including the usually ignored parts, things begin to change. We begin nurturing ourselves and making small changes in the direction of more knowledge and greater freedom. Changes in the direction of self-love lead to more happiness in general — and they may also lead to better expression and experiences in intimacy. The relationship with your own body is the longest relationship of your life; let’s make it happy, joyful, and free.