The Idea of the Week
“Your body is an instrument, not an ornament.”
—Lindsay Kite at More Than a Body [article]
As you journey to befriend your body, you may come across two movements: Body Positivity and Body Neutrality [article]. These movements provide different approaches to becoming more accepting of your body. As you learn about each movement, consider which approach will work best for you. You may also want to consider a dual approach.
Body positivity [article] promotes love and acceptance of one’s body of all body shapes, sizes, genders, and skin tones. It aims to challenge societal standards of body image, appearance, and beauty. Body positivity emphasizes that all bodies are beautiful regardless of appearance.
However, the body positivity movement has faced a few challenges. As a response to the drawbacks of the body positivity movement, people have begun working towards body neutrality.
Body neutrality [article] promotes the acceptance of one’s body as it is right now. This movement aims to decentralize the body as an object and step back from conversations about the body because body neutrality recognizes that we are more than our bodies. Instead, body neutrality focuses on what you do with your body, listening to your body’s needs, and how you feel.
Practice of the Week
How can we take the steps to befriend our bodies?
Step 1: Notice negative self-talk about your body
Step 2: Stop and breathe
Step 3: Validate a neutral voice, for example:
- “My legs enable me to walk,”
- “My hands enable me to pet animals,”
- “My arms allow me to hug my loved ones,”
- “My belly is full and warm when I eat my favorite foods.”
Step 4: Keep practicing. When you are hooked on a negative thought, replace it with a neutral (or positive) voice.
Mindfulness is an important component of body neutrality because when we practice body neutrality, we are listening to our body and letting our body guide us. This may mean:
- instead of eating by the clock, you eat intuitively [article].
- you exercise or go for a walk because it makes you feel good—not to burn off the food you’ve eaten.
- you choose to wear clothes that make you feel comfortable or good.
News of the Week
Virtual and In-Person Group Request
We are gearing up to provide virtual and in-person groups in the fall. We are planning to conduct several groups, and we want to meet the needs of our community. What kind of groups would you like to see?
To request a group, send your requests in an email to [email protected] with the subject “Group Ideas.”
If you are training to become a forest bathing guide, please contact us! We’d love for you to lead a group!
The Thought of the Week
Wishing you a peaceful week!
