We are body, mind, & soul. None are more important than the other. None are of lesser value. All are equal. All are good.

When I speak with women, I often find that they feel either their body, mind, or soul are less important than the others. They can tend to be hyper focused on one, just ok with another, & at times disregarding of any good in the third. I know I’ve felt that way before & still slip into it at times.

Through the years, I have put different aspects on a pedestal & degraded others. It has wavered & changed throughout my life. I have had my days of being strict in religion & feeling that my soul was so much more important than my body. I felt that the desires of my body were bad & needed suppressing. I have had years of aiming to be healthy & restricting food to heal & take care of my body. But while I was doing this, I neglected listening to my mind & how it was tearing me apart in fear & shame if I slipped up in the slightest way. And I’ve had times of feeling that I can’t trust my emotions or my soul’s longing because I’ve done the research & what I need to do logically is more important than what my soul longs for. These are just a few examples of the many experiences I’ve had in this unbalance from my own story.

Have you ever been in a place like that? How did you feel?

It seems to me, when we are able to identify all three as good & as equals, we will notice that those are the days we feel our best. Those are the times we are more at peace & empowered. It’s because we are body, mind, & soul. If you diminish any, you diminish yourself.

When you honor all three & listen to them, you honor yourself & listen to your own, innate wisdom.

It can be hard. Depending on our backgrounds, our culture most likely had a focus on putting one of these aspects higher than the others. It’s ok if we don’t always get it right. It’s part of our work to remind ourselves once again that all three are good, that we are good, & to continue on.

Today, I want to focus in on Body.

And I have one of my poems for you to express it. So, here is….

”Baby Fat”

One woman gets asked,

“Is this your first?”

“Oh - I’m not pregnant,” she replies.

What she doesn’t say is the weight she has gained

is from recovering over disordered eating.

She is eating again.

Another woman avoids the glances,

the half smiles that want to ask,

“Oh! Are you having another?!”

She wants to explain...

she wants them to know the turmoil her body went through,

the tearing,

the injury from pregnancy,

the therapy...

but, instead she avoids

and hides her body as deep as it will go under her clothes.

These woman are all women.

They hide.

They shame.

They must cover the bad.

Only show the good.

They tell each other

"You are beautiful; no-one should judge you!”

But, they judge themselves.

When will they realize they are each other?

She is you.

You are her.

You are one.

Woman.

Beautiful and perfect the way you are.

Do not hide.

Do not be ashamed of what you are.

Your body is good.

Your body brings life to this world.

Your body creates ecstatic orgasms and pleasure.

Your body comforts as you wrap your arms around a friend.

Your body.

Your body!

It is a powerful, creative, beautiful force.

No-one has the right to judge it.

Not even yourself.

Does this poem resonate? Let all of this sink into your body for a moment. Ask your body if she has felt pushed aside, discounted, or judged from you? Perhaps, place your hands lovingly on her & tell her sorry & how much you love her & appreciate her. She will understand. She always does.