For many years I used to sit up late at night, watching TV whilst indulging in some sweets or junk food, thinking this is ‘me-time’. Considering that I was always a natural early morning person, I used to push through when I felt tired in the evening, choosing to override that feeling and just prop myself up with some sweet foods to stay awake and watch another late night movie I thought I could not miss. Interestingly, most mornings I could hardly remember what I had watched the night before …
Category: BODY IMAGE
My Breasts, My Breasts
I have two of them and never would I have ever expected to be sharing the story of my breasts with the world, let alone celebrating the depth of beauty and Love they emanate and that I now live.
My True relationship with my Breasts began 9 years ago with my first Esoteric Breast Massage (EBM). At the time I was breastfeeding a baby and moving on from an abusive relationship. It could now be said that I was moving on from a long-standing, far more abusive relationship with myself.
I’d never realised how deeply ingrained self-abuse was, how insidious and foul – a stench that plagued me for as long as I remember and yet was a safe, known companion and the red marker pen which I branded myself with as ‘wrong’.
At 45, for the First Time in my Life, I Actually Love having Breasts!
Although it hasn’t always been this way …
Breasts. Even just saying this word conjures up so many feelings.
When I was young, intimate body parts like breasts were never discussed with family or friends. There was a slight air of embarrassment around it, and from this I interpreted that breasts were definitely something to hide and not talk about.
Continue reading “At 45, for the First Time in my Life, I Actually Love having Breasts!”
My Breasts and I: From No Awareness to Love & Respect
It seems strange to say this now, but once upon a time I had no awareness of my breasts other than as:
- a visible marker of my womanhood
- objects of sexual pleasure
- a physical inconvenience due to persistent lumps and soreness.
In truth, I was actually more annoyed by my breasts than anything else. At times I resented their visibility and the fact that I would be judged in some way when given the ‘once over’ by others (men and women). I certainly was not impressed by the lumps and pain I’d experienced since my 20s, which had me frequently rushing off for mammograms, convinced I had cancer. There was some compensation for these woes, in terms of the feelings I derived from them during sex, but even this felt somewhat hollow and certainly didn’t offset my physical condition.
Continue reading “My Breasts and I: From No Awareness to Love & Respect”
Bras, Breasts, Esoteric Breast Massage and Me
I never really considered how I related to my breasts beyond them being a nuisance or an annoyance. Yes, I got attention because of these breasts of mine, but not in a good way, and I felt riled and annoyed each time this was happening.
I’ve always been conscious of my breasts, not in a proud or appreciative way, but as something I felt extremely awkward about, a part of me I was not exactly sure what to do with, and blithely ignored as much as possible. Plus, they hurt, especially during my periods and so they were often considered a nuisance.
For years I wore the wrong size bra, apparently and surprisingly up to 80% of women do, (1). The figure seems absurd, and yet many sources corroborate this. Imagine wearing the wrong size shoes!
Continue reading “Bras, Breasts, Esoteric Breast Massage and Me”
Breast Care: Are Cysts Harmless?
Often with even the best breast care, it is commonly accepted that cysts in the body are not dangerous, even when they feel like a lump. On many occasions, with further examination the lump is found to be a small, generally harmless sac filled with fluid, rather than a cancerous or benign lump of cells – there may even be one cyst or many cysts appearing together that end up being benign.
What is Your Relationship with Your Breasts?
When was the last time you stood in front of a mirror, naked, and looked at your breasts?
When was the last time you stood in front of a mirror, naked, and looked at your breasts, absolutely without any judgement?
When was the last time you washed and moisturised your breasts with the tenderness, equal if not greater to holding a newborn baby?
When did you last care for your breasts the way you care for your face?
It is well worth stopping and pondering on these questions…
So, how do we see our breasts?
Continue reading “What is Your Relationship with Your Breasts?”
Women – Honouring our Body Image and Appreciating our Reflection
When we look at ourselves in the mirror, what is the relationship we have with the image reflected back at us? How much do we appreciate ourselves?
A while ago I was in a shop trying on some clothes. The lady in the next cubicle came out looking stunning. She was trying on a beautiful dress – and her friend immediately expressed to her how gorgeous she looked. This lady did look gorgeous, and I could feel she loved the dress. The dress fitted beautifully and I could feel a grace in her quality as she stood in front of the mirror. It wasn’t that the dress made the woman into anything, it was that the woman in her beauty made the dress shine – she shone in the dress. I observed as the woman in the dress got distinctly more uncomfortable as she looked at herself in the mirror, and made some comments that picked fault in how it looked to her, and she decided not to buy the dress.
Continue reading “Women – Honouring our Body Image and Appreciating our Reflection”
Inspirations and Reflections: Learning From Each Other
I recently went to visit my hairdresser. No big deal I hear you say and normally I would agree. I have quite short hair and was just going for a regular haircut – or so I thought!
My hairdresser took a lot of time checking out how the last cut had turned out; what had worked and what hadn’t. She made the comment that it was very important to her that she understood the hair that she was cutting. She said that she had to take her time to learn to ‘speak’ to my hair so that she understood the best way to cut it so as to create the style we had agreed upon.
I suggested that there was another way to look at it; that if she was prepared to let my hair guide her hands so that she knew what, where and how much to cut, she would have all the support she needed and the end result would be amazing.
Continue reading “Inspirations and Reflections: Learning From Each Other”
A Life lesson: Hanging the Washing and Appreciating the Woman I Am
Reflections – we see them everywhere, not just when we look into a mirror and admire how gorgeous we are, or when we watch the ripples softly flow along the water, but the ever present reflections and lessons we have on offer from people and routines that are a part of our everyday life. The learning is endless.
I arrived home from a short trip with my mum this morning and put on a load of washing for the working week ahead. I began to hang my clothing on the line with my favourite bright coloured pegs, the sun was shining and I felt an overwhelming feeling to stop and adore my washing line.
Continue reading “A Life lesson: Hanging the Washing and Appreciating the Woman I Am”