...a journey towards self-confidence and self-love
Everything about 'Just As I Am,' is committed to empowering every woman to feel entirely comfortable and confident in her own skin. My mission is to stand with you throughout your journey towards self-acceptance and to help you dance your way into holistic alignment, cheering you on all the way.
In a world where external pressures can often overshadow our inner well-being, the simple concept of 'just love yourself and love your body' can feel like a heavy chain instead of a liberating key. If it were really that easy, we'd all be celebrating our bodies at every stage of life, at every size, every shape, and every weight. We wouldn't judge ourselves or others based on appearances, and the diet and beauty industries wouldn't boast a staggering combined worth of almost $1300 billion AUD, with about a tenth of that being from Australia. (This is accurate at the time of writing – 2023)
It's so important to understand that before embarking on the journey of self-confidence and self-love, we have to first take one essential step:
'Be content to be ourselves.'
Our fast-paced society often compels us to 'go, go, go! do, do, do! succeed, succeed, succeed!'
When we're not constantly achieving, it's easy to perceive it as a personal failure.
But it’s ok for us to shift this perspective… to slow down… to fall into our own rhythm of what action, momentum, and success might be for us.
Embracing oneself as we are, in itself, is an amazing achievement and it’s the groundwork for everything immense that comes after. It's perfectly ok to begin here and to focus on self-acceptance before diving into self-confidence and self-love – in fact… it’s a must because self-acceptance is the container for holding all the rest.
While ‘Just As I Am’ is grounded in embodiment, here, we focus on transformative mindset shifts and practical strategies that can be gently interlaced with bodyset to initiate your journey:
Strategy One - Curate Body Diversity
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat are part of the daily lives of many of us, often bombarding us with images of people whose bodies don't necessarily mirror our own.
On your journey, you can enrich your social media feeds with a diverse tapestry of body types. Cultivate a social media environment that celebrates body diversity and diverse lifestyles. Doing so will help you feel more comfortable with where you are because you'll witness the uniqueness of every individual's journey. There's no 'right' or 'wrong' way to have a body or live your life—it's all about embracing the beauty of diversity.
Don't hesitate to unfollow people temporarily or permanently if their content doesn't contribute positively to your life. What we expose ourselves to online profoundly impacts our self-perception. We should aim to immerse ourselves in positive, inclusive, and uplifting online spaces.
When we start seeing uniqueness as beauty, we can stop trying to fit in to all the boxes we have been conditioned to think we need to fit into. Every size, shape and colour is beautiful in a body that owns what they’ve got!
Emphasis here is on 'diversity' because it's more than just mirroring our own body; it's about celebrating the beauty of all body types. Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of following individuals who resemble us, share our communities, or have similar styles. However, this can inadvertently reinforce the idea that only those who resemble us are acceptable. In every area of life, we should be practicing acceptance and tolerance across the board – it begins with accepting yourself.
Strategy Two - Think ‘Body Comfort’
I believe that feeling comfortable in your body transcends the pursuit of attaining any particular appearance or look.
You were born onto this planet with a purpose, and I don’t feel that conforming to societal standards of beauty was ever a part of it. Your body is an intricate vessel that enables you to engage with life's rich tapestry. It is your space for embodying all of your emotions, sensations, and meaningful interactions. It is the conduit through which you can forge deep connections with others and make a positive impact on this world.
In a world that often fixates on appearances, we're constantly confronted with images, comparing ourselves to others, and striving to meet unrealistic ideals. This obsession can lead us to perceive our bodies as something that needs fixing or conforming. We need to reframe this perspective.
Your body is not designed to 'look good' for someone else... it's here to 'feel good' for you.
It’s in the body that we experience love, joy, balance, peace and the blessings of life itself. These things cannot be seen – they exist beyond an image! They are felt and experienced! Embodiment supports the shift from the external “body image” to the internal “body experience” so that you can enjoy the experience of being you.
And I get it… I have been there – stuck in a continuous cycle of self-comparison, chasing some ideal version of myself, sinking into feelings of dissatisfaction and being fixated on what I looked like… but this was not the experience my body was having. My body was healing from birth trauma, my body was resting in Mum mode, my body was rebalancing chemically, emotionally and physically… not once, but 6 times! And it took my Husband to help me see it. He helped me shift from obsessing over how I thought I looked, to focusing on how I felt. And I realised that what I felt was strength, love and and empowering sense of accomplishment for what my body was able to endure! The healing is always found in the feeling!
Strategy Three - The Power of Self-Expression
In our holistic approach to body confidence, we demonstrate how self-expression plays such a huge role in nurturing self-confidence. Expression is all about the feeling and about how we authentically express ourselves — physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
I am essentially quiet and introverted yet I have danced my entire life and it as been an outlet for me to express things that I never had words for or felt I would be judged for. We women are layers upon layers of multifaceted awesomeness... we should always find ways to release and express the dynamics of all that we are. This is the very concept that ‘Just As I Am was born out of – allowing safe space that extends beyond dance or movement and allows women to express their bodies in ways that we rarely do. There is nothing wrong with moving your body – bodies are made to move, and feminine energy is beautiful and creative… it deserves expression that is fun, graceful, sensual, and elegant. The more you engage in self-expression through the body, the more you begin to feel safe in your body, to trust what your body can do and feel and become comfortable in your own skin.
Think of your body confidence as a mirror reflecting your inner essence. When you hold back from living authentically, speaking your truth, embodying your uniqueness, or sharing your unique gifts, a subtle sense of resentment can creep in, affecting your relationship with your body. You have things going on that deserve to be let go, or shared, or celebrated and honoured. Embracing self-expression through holistic dance embodiment is not only healing as you begin to move things out of the body and make space for new things to come in… but it is also a path to feeling truly fulfilled.
Strategy Four - Embrace Compliments with gratitude
When was the last time you gracefully accepted a compliment? Most of us have a peculiar tendency to deflect compliments and spend our energy resisting the words people offer us. Why do we do this? Why not just say 'thank you' and genuinely receive the compliment? The simple, yet profound act of just saying 'thank you,' and acknowledging the kindness extended to you not only uplifts you but also brings fulfillment to the person giving the compliment.
Consider what it feels like within yourself when you offer a compliment to someone else, and they respond by rejecting it. Energetically, it is an act of denying the gift of giving – because it feels good to give, whether that be gifts, time, or compliments. It feels good to make other people feel good and not receiving this kind of good vibes and love that comes your way is essentially saying ‘no’ to the flow of the universe and to your own flow and rhythm. Receiving compliments is a heart-centred act of reciprocity, so take compliments to heart, believe in their sincerity, and acknowledge their truth. Someone saw something in you that was worth that person’s time and energy to share it with you! Embrace compliments with gratitude, knowing that accepting them is an act of self-love, flow, and an invitation to strengthen your body confidence.
Strategy Five - Practice Mantra
Here's a powerful truth: Your self-worth is intrinsic; you don't need to earn it through external validation.
Your worth is independent of your weight. Your worth is independent of your occupation. Your worth is independent of your financial status. Your worth is independent of your relationship status or any other external measure. Your worth is not contingent on anything outside of you. And most importantly, your worth is not determined by your body.
Your body does not define your worth.
As we already talked about, we are flooded with external images and patterns laid out for the purpose and profit of billion-dollar industries, not for your wellbeing. Sometimes it is necessary to tune it all out and sit in a quiet space within yourself and take stock. Whenever you sense yourself comparing or judging yourself to the outside world – close your eyes and tune out of that world… that’s not you. Take a deep breath… sink into your space. Roll your shoulder back… open up your heart. Smile inwardly… remember the people who love and adore you. Repeat this mantra… ”My Worth Transcends My Body.” Let this moment gently dissipate the negativity.
”My Worth Transcends My Body.”
”My Worth Transcends My Body.”
”My Worth Transcends My Body.”
Body confidence is about cultivating an environment, mindset, and relationship with your body that transcends appearance. It's about recognising your inherent worth and limitless potential simply because you're a beautiful human being. That's the essence of it – that’s the goal – that’s your natural state!
There is a crucial distinction to keep in mind: BODY image and SELF confidence are two entirely separate things, knowing this can prevent us from descending into a self-defeating cycle of negativity.
These strategies are workable and tangible practices to help you feel at ease in your own skin. It's important to recognize that this is a continuous journey. Some days will feel smoother than others, and a single difficult day should never define your entire life. I do hope that the next time you find yourself grappling with a challenging body-image day, these strategies for building body confidence will offer you some space to breathe, find comfort, and come back to balance within your body.
Allow yourself to know that you are a remarkable, deserving, and capable individual, regardless of how you may feel about your body on any given day. Your worth transcends your body, and it's time to embrace the beautiful, unique being that you are. Your journey to self-love is a worthy and achievable one that begins with body comfort and confidence and when you embrace your body in this holistic way, confidence becomes an integral part of your dance.
If you are looking for ways to connect more deeply to you body, I can help. Find out how Rhythmic Living can change the way you feel, live and experience life.
Commentaires