A week from now I’ll be 54 years old! wow! How can it be? Inside my skin-I feel, ummm…like a kid.
The Buddhists and Mayans got it right. You’re not an adult until you’re 52 years old. Aha! I feel way more like a precocious 2 year old. Yeah. At two-I was stubborn, self-reliant and super determined.
I bounced when I fell down. I laughed immediately after a hard cry. I ingested, digested and assimilated life through every pore in my skin, eyes, nose, ears and mouth.
At two I was fearless.
I have 3 Birthday Wishes:
- To Embody the Brilliance of my Inner Two Year Old.
- To Step forward with the Courage of my Inner Two Year Old.
- To Love my Body and my World with the Zeal of my Inner Two Year Old.
“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”
Phil Hans (Laugh In comedian writer)
Sure, as the author of my childhood-I’ve idealized, embellished, and stretched the awe and wonder of my adventures growing up.
Today I adopt a new quote for my banner:
“Be the change you desire in your world.”
Mahatma Gandhi (his birthday is October 2nd.)
I LOVE my Adult Body with
- varicose veins on my legs that imitate a Picasso tatoo artist
- cellulose shamelessly showing through my dance pants
- silver hair on my head and on my …
As a 2 year old Adult:
I choose to love my body as it is. (Media’s definition of female beauty is BULLSHIT.)
I choose to enjoy sensations of wiggle, squirm, shake and purr. (Sexual and sensual freedom & discernment reigns!)
I choose to exude my beauty and perfection. (Age-ism and gender-ism no longer have authority over me.)
Okay. I confess. What did it take to love my body?
It took over 12 years of individual therapy and nearly 20 years of ecstatic dance to accept and love my body. It was WHAT I did with my female role models-rather than what they gave me. They taught me eating disorders and body image distortion. It was the absence of them loving their bodies, that guided me how to Love My Body. I saw my Aunt Irma, Birth Mother, Step-Mother, and Foster Mothers shame, curse and abuse their bodies.
Life’s too short to live in mental prison and body hell.
The voice of self compassion and acceptance permeate my bone marrow. I smile more when I look in the mirror. Instead of harsh criticism, my attention goes toward health and gratitude.
“Wow! Look at me! My skin’s smooth and I’m liking my curves.”
I am leaning into love to hold me up instead of stiff muscles full of fear. The more I love my body, the more my body loves me back so I can move with ease and grace.
Right.
“It’s your bones that carry you, not your muscles.”
Feldenkrais taught me that. I will be chewing on this truth for a lifetime.
Ecstatic Dance and Contact Improvisation taught me what it feels like to have my bones carry me, not my muscles. It’s my hollow bones, full of emptiness-not density-that holds strength. It’s the relaxed muscle that’s strong, not tense. When I let my bones carry me, I move with grace. Ahhh. Back to the wisdom of being two years old. Bouncing from the fall is effortless. In contact improvisation, it’s natural to roll into a spiral when falling. Stiffness is not natural. Loving my body is natural. Shaming and resisting my body is not natural. It’s learned.
How do you LOVE YOUR BODY? What daily practices reinforce the amazing beauty and order that runs through your veins of existence?
I’d LOVE to hear from you.
Peace,
Carola
- When you see yourself in the mirror-do you see compassion looking back at you?
- Does your inner voice sound like your best friend cheering you on to show up, stand tall, and be AWEsome?
- Right now, speak 3 ways you LOVE your body.
My soul mission is to empower Self LOVE and Acceptance.
If you desire to LOVE your Body and feel fully Alive-
I am honored to serve you.
My sessions are short and sweet and self-empowering.
Click here to schedule your FREE introductory call.
FREE! BodyLove Sessions Tues Sept 11-25 NOON to 1PM
Click HERE for more details!
You are not alone.
Got questions? Feel free to call or email me at carolamarashi@gmail.com.
512-925-0625
“It takes Courage to Love. Your answers are inside you.”
I cannot express how much this resonated with me. I grew up the youngest of 3. My brother was merciless about my chubbiness( and every thing else). Which I believed and created a framework of self delusion over. Overcoming that negative (talk turned negative self talk). did not happen till I was about 50. It was not an epiphany. It was a long morphing out of an incredible sense of self loathing with the aid of an excellent counselor. I believed I was one thing and could not see any of the other things I was without help. Like a lot of things in my life I was not grateful for who I was. I believe this made it nearly impossible to be grateful for who I was in the present. This open letter is a reminder to me to be present and grateful for me and all the lessons I have learned in 52 years. Thanx Carola
Ahhh Scott! I appreciate your sharing on how learning to Love your Body wasn’t an epiphany, rather a slow morphing. Same with me. Like shedding skin-to finally feel, see, and accept me, rather than the cloak of ‘not me’. Thank GAWD for therapy, receiving compassion and reflection with a clear open heart. Peace to you!