Buying MY First Bra

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by Dr Rachel Hall, Dentist, Kenmore, Brisbane

There are many milestones in a woman’s life, one of which is buying your first bra, as getting a bra for the first time signifies the shift from being a girl to a young woman.

As a girl I seldom gave bras much thought, it was just something your mum wears and they were fun to play dress up in, or use as a makeshift catapult – but that was about it. Breasts and bras were quite an alien concept and during my developing years I often prayed, wished and hoped that my breasts, when the time came, would not be too big. Evidently breasts came in different shapes and sizes, as some women had flat chests and others seemed to have more than their fair share. I didn’t see what was so sexy or great about them… or why the girls at school were so desperate to get their boobs. Continue reading “Buying MY First Bra” →

Breasts, Bras and One Amazing Hug

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by Heidi, 23, Goonellabah, New South Wales

I developed breasts at a young age and did my best to ignore their arrival. Into my mid-teens I usually wore loose fitted tops and compressing sports bras. My friends would often comment about the size of my breasts when they happened to see me in a singlet or fitted top. I could feel the comparison they went into and I was so bemused by their attention, and shocked at talk of wanting breast implants and finding bras with maximum padding.

Wearing sports bras most days continued into my early twenties. At the time, I enjoyed the feeling of a flatter chest as I thought it made me look skinnier. I disliked how my shoulders and upper body looked with a bra – I just felt top heavy and clunky. I had tried some strapless bras and found them horrible. Strangely, I wore them quite regularly. They cut in, jabbed me and made my whole chest feel hard. Continue reading “Breasts, Bras and One Amazing Hug” →

Going With The Flow

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by Sarah C, London UK

While I was showering this morning, I was gently washing myself and started to feel myself from the inside out – a concept I find extremely challenging because for so long I have always felt myself from the outside, in.

I remembered that in March 2012, after hearing and reading the concept that pads (sanitary napkins) allowed the natural flow of a woman’s period, and my being a tampon user since teenage years, I found this concept weird, to say the least. But I thought, hey, why not try napkins and see what happens?

Reflecting on this today, the change has been profound and I really only fully appreciated that in my bathroom this morning. I have had eleven periods since that time and can honestly say that I have truly felt my flow and the joy of that cleanse. I love having my period now and actually look forward to it each month. What a turnaround! Well, there’s a first time for everything, even as a 44-year-old woman. Continue reading “Going With The Flow” →

My To-Do List

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by Rebekah Muntelwit, Sales Consultant / Interior Designer, Mackay, Australia

I have always been a woman of many to-do lists, checklists and tracking events etc. I have a goals list on my wall, a white board with things to be done, email notifications from myself, endless sticky note reminders and last but not least, two to-do lists on my phone – that I have with me constantly. As well as this I have things continually going through my head of what to do next (shopping list, count downs ‘till events and certain dates etc.).

And well, up until yesterday at the first Esoteric Women’s Group talk in Mackay, I didn’t really think that this could be contributing to the exhaustion and tiredness I frequently, if not always, feel! Continue reading “My To-Do List” →

Women, Comparison & Love

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by Anonymous

Having grown up with 3 sisters, I know all about comparison and jealousy and competing for attention… And I know all about covering things up with niceties, manners and politeness when presenting to the rest of the world, yet knowing full well the feelings that are underlying between us.

When I reflect now, it’s sad to feel the way that we were with each other and in some ways, still are. How is it that 5 beautiful women (including my mum) were all living in the same house and, for a lot of the time, there were unspoken resentments, jealousies and judgments towards one another. It’s been hard to admit, but if I am really honest, that is the truth. And I played a full part in that. It is painful to feel that I measured myself constantly with my sisters and also with my parent’s expectations. Instead of expressing and getting it all out there in the open, we tended to hold things in and keep it all under lock and key, letting it all build up – with the inevitable emotional explosions from time to time. And all the while, so often our words and actions were laced with the insidiousness of anger, frustration or disappointment under the guise of ‘politeness’ or ‘niceness’. Continue reading “Women, Comparison & Love” →

Letting go of ‘Trying to Fit In’

~ womeninlivingness

by Donna Gianniotis, Yoga Teacher, Sydney, Australia

I couldn’t help but feel the joy and the loveliness in the room at the recently held Women’s Group Presentation hosted by Natalie Benhayon in Sydney.

This led me to ponder  – I’ve been in many a room with women only, but why did this feel different?

The answer revealed itself throughout the afternoon: my conclusion being that here we were, a group of close to 100 women openly expressing in our honesty about how we live our lives. We explored various challenges that we may face living as women today, with one of the biggest of these being how we, as women, tend to want to ‘fit in’.  And how ‘fitting in’ takes us away from keeping our own personal rhythms that could truly support us and allow us a deeper connection to ourselves. Continue reading “Letting go of ‘Trying to Fit In’” →

New Period and Full Moon Diary App And So Much More

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by AP, Sydney, Australia

I was really looking forward to hearing Natalie Benhayon talk about the new ‘Period and Full Moon Diary’ App she was launching. This is not just for women who are still menstruating, but is also just as applicable for menopausal women, like me, or even young women who haven’t started their periods yet. This new App will be a perfect way to record how I’m feeling from day to day so I can see when there’s a pattern emerging. Was I frustrated for just a few days, or was it actually a lot more than that?… and if so, I can then think about what caused that frustration. Did something happen at work, or with a friend? With this honesty and awareness, I have the opportunity to make different choices moving forward. Maybe I speak up more when I’m with my friends and say how I really feel about something, rather than just going along with the group. Or at home, I could explain to my teenage sons that I’m really tired and would love some help with dinner, rather than feeling frustrated and then snapping at everyone because I’m annoyed that I’m doing everything myself! As we can make notes on a daily basis with the period diary, I can see how the changes I make affect me, not just on a daily basis, but also with regard to my cycle. I know how I am feeling each day, but I can honestly say that I can’t remember, with clarity, how I felt yesterday, let alone the days before. I’m really looking forward to using the App, specifically as I’d like to look back over the days and weeks to see what I can learn from it. Continue reading “New Period and Full Moon Diary App And So Much More” →

A Swimsuit for ME

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by Felicity

I have read many stories of reclaiming from this Women in Livingness blog, but was hesitant to offer one myself as I felt I wasn’t quite there yet; that other women were doing it, claiming it, that is – living confidently as true women. Then I had a simple but profound experience that showed me what I have let go of, and how I am more honoring of me.

Recently, I had to buy some new bathers and I felt a few long-term insecurities just sitting there under the surface. I had no intention of indulging them, but I knew they were there waiting for a chance to go on a rampage, if I allowed it.

I went to a shop and picked out a few swimsuits to try on. One felt wrong as soon as I put it on. In fact it was so wrong because it was designed to press so strongly on my body as if trying to twist my upper chest into an ideal ‘look’ according to someone else, which felt like it was controlling my shoulders in some kind of compression. It fitted ok, but that was not the point. It just felt so wrong on my body because… well, because it didn’t allow me to be me. How huge to allow myself to feel this! Continue reading “A Swimsuit for ME” →

Accepting Being a Woman

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by Mrs Sandra Wilson, Brisbane, Australia, Master of Arts (MA)

I am 67 years old and am only just starting to accept myself as a woman.

I have been the dutiful daughter, the faithful wife and the caring mother. I played hippie, athlete, academic, all in an attempt to find meaning in life. Rarely have I been simply who I am as a woman, without trying to live up to other people’s expectations and to my own impossible ideals of how a perfect person should be.

When I looked in the mirror, the image looked gaunt and wasted. It is only since attending Universal Medicine courses that I realised how this came about. I had put myself through many hardships in order to prove that I was as good as any man. I spent many a night in wet bunks on ocean racing boats; many a night sleeping out under the stars in wild country; rock climbing or looking for aboriginal cave paintings. I brought up two children in a remote area without power or running water. For me then, it was a challenging adventure, but it was fuelled by a desperate need for love… Continue reading “Accepting Being a Woman” →

The Birth of A Woman

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by Dr Rachel Hall, Dentist, Kenmore Australia

Around 2 years ago a small group of Brisbane women began meeting approximately every 6 weeks to talk about and raise awareness of women’s health.

These meetings commenced by exploring that despite advances in healthcare and preventive medicine, women’s health was actually worsening, with ever increasing cases of breast lumps, breast cancer, hormonal problems, fibroids, endometriosis, problem periods and fertility issues.

This initial discussion gave rise to an interesting but very exposing concept that women’s health issues may stem from the way we are choosing to live our lives, and how we are as women. But what did that mean, and what did it look like? Continue reading “The Birth of A Woman” →