How Nude Yoga has changed my body image perception {and made me admire ALL women’s bodies}
The other day I was walking down the stairs at home in my short (very short) yoga pants. My partner’s Reiki client was sitting in our lounge room and she looked up at me as I was coming downstairs and says
The old Rosie would have taken offence to this comment, thinking she meant I was fat. Ego-driven, self-sabotagey Rosie would have been embarrassed, insulted and ashamed of her ‘shapely’ legs.
However, what flew out my mouth surprised me!
I said “THANKS!!” with a big smile on my face.
And it was genuine.
I was chuffed that she admired my curvaceous thighs. And even more chuffed that I f*cking loved them too!
Over the past year since practicing Nude Yoga – both my self practice at home and the women’s group classes I hold regularly – I have learnt to accept, and hence love my body.
Self love is birthed from a daily practice of continuous, compassionate self acceptance.
Over the years, I have had people describe my body shape as ‘short’, ‘compact’, ‘athletic’ and ‘muscly’ – essentially a ‘pocket rocket’. Someone once even told me to take up yoga because it might help me lean me out.
I became increasingly insecure that I didn’t have the typical ‘yoga body’ (which is total bull shit by the way considering only 0.5% of the population is built like Christy Turlington).
I had the belief that beautiful looks something like this: skinny, inner thigh gap, large breasts, small waist, toned and tall. With this belief system engrained as a firmly planted neural pathway in my brain, and usually adopted from media, movies and magazines, it’s difficult to love your body…especially when it’s opposite to this portrayal of what’s considered ‘beautiful’ in the media’s eyes
However what Nude Yoga has taught me this year has been absolutely pivotal in my #bodylove journey.
It has taught me to love myself just as I am…right now…without needing to be any different.
{ Let that sink in for a minute…}
Now, you try it:
Try loving yourself right now without needing to change ANYTHING at all!!
Nothing!
Nope, not even that muffin top.
Or that lip moustache.
Or those dimples on your ass.
Or those over-size, puffy nipples.
Or those wobbly thighs.
Or your hairy pussy.
Just accept all those so-called ‘imperfections’ for what they are (and remember to ask yourself, “Who labeled these as imperfections in the first place???” Hint…it certainly wasn’t women!). Just take a look at what was considered beautiful a few thousand years ago – curvaceous women!
So tell me, how good does that feel to accept those parts of your body??
When we discover a home in self acceptance, we come to a place of SURRENDER.
And when we surrender, we release resistance energy.
And when we release resistance, our body can relax and we can ALLOW the FLOW to enter into our bodies, lives and relationships
Nude Yoga helped me realise I don’t need to change anything at all, and to love myself is just to be yourself!
How much of a RELIEF does that feel??
By practicing nude yoga, I started to love myself FULLY without all the bells and whistles. Without needing to lose weight. Shave my legs. Get a brazilian wax. Be tanned. Toned. Skinny!
It taught be to turn up no matter how I felt or what I looked like. Just simply turn up as I am – this is what inspires women.
For example, the first time I taught a Nude Yoga class, I got my period that day! Despite being extremely bloated, heavy, achey and emotional I still turned up and taught the class.
I have taught Nude Yoga on numerous occasions when I was in a bad mood, uncomfortably vulnerable, insecure, pissed off and having a ‘fat day’. And every single time I still turned up, did my best, and came away feeling f*cking AMAZING!!!
How?
Why?
Because by being vulnerable, stepping out of my comfort zone, and putting my own bullshit to the side to support other women in their own #bodylove journey, I was able to transform and rewire a new positive, affirming neural pathway of:
“I love my body just the way she is now” and “I am enough”.
The vulnerability and loving support from the other women in the room is beyond captivating; it often takes me breath away and brings me to tears.
You see…
When we judge another harshly, it’s simply a reflection of how hard we judge ourselves.
Thus, when we can stop judging others, we can stop judging ourselves…and vice versa.
I now look at women on street of all shapes, sizes, colours and heights and simply adore her. I send her love, rather than judge her. Besides, she probably hates herself enough without me sending her energetic hatred and loathing. Often our egos are pretty nasty pieces of work, and we really don’t need other women judging and criticising us too.
What we do need, however, is more LOVE – both from ourselves and from others.
So the next time your ego tries to tell you you’re:
- fat (not skinny enough)
- ugly (not pretty enough)
- lazy (not productive enough)
- unworthy (not enough)
- stupid (not smart enough)
- a muggle (not spiritual enough)
How, about you choose the path of self love and CHOOSE to believe that you are beautiful, in the flow, worthy, enough, smart and empowered??
That feels better in your body, right?
Initially it’s hard work carving out a new, fresh, positive neural pathway in your brain geared to SELF LOVING rather than SELF LOATHING, however it’s totally achievable.
One step at a time!
Recruit a team of like minded women and men around you who support you, cut chords with people and habits that no longer serve you, find a weekly sister circle to attend (or men’s circle such as Tribe Tuesday), hire a coach in 2016 (check out my packages here) and come to some Nude Yoga in the new year! Please hyperlink these links above in red where it is underlined
Next year I will be holding regular Nude Yoga classes, workshops and retreats in Perth and around Australia. To keep updated, subscribe below for my newsletter below to keep posted and Follow my two Facebook pages ‘Rosie Rees’ and ‘Nude Yoga with Rosie’.
Love Rosie x
