Yoga & Body Acceptance

My skin is never clear enough, my hair is never thick or long enough, my belly is never flat or muscular enough, my lips aren’t full enough, and I’m too young to have these wrinkles. I am a broken record of self-deprecation. I am learning to love myself, but I still cannot accept my appearance. I am a product of a society that creates insecurity and then profits off of it. I am plagued with thoughts that I know are no good for me, but I can’t seem to let them go.

I look in the mirror after completing my 8 step skincare routine, and I curse the acne, redness, and wrinkles on my face. I curse myself for being manipulated by all these expensive brands and throwing money away on a lost cause: my beauty. I compare myself to everyone else, both on and off of social media. I wonder why I wasn’t blessed with all the features that they have. My boyfriend tells me I’m perfect, and I cringe and hide my stomach. I am almost thirty years old; will I ever get over this?

I have one savior, and her name is yoga. In the Sanskrit language, yoga means “union.” This can be interpreted in many ways, but when I practice, I am joining my mind to my body to my soul. Yoga has been a significant catalyst for me in my ongoing journey of self-love, but one of the best things it’s provided me is a fresh perspective on the incredible vessel that is my body. Yoga has no time for unkind self talk, it doesn’t care about your wrinkles, acne or cellulite, it simply offers you the opportunity to look deeper. And when I look deep enough, I find true clarity.

After one session, my thoughts are entirely reset. From the crown of my head to the tips of my toes, I am grateful, I am in awe, and most importantly, I am in love. I am in love with the way my nervous system allows me to balance in tree pose, the way my muscles produce heat in a challenging flow, the way my breath moves so effortlessly through my chest, and the way my hands and feet support my entire weight in downward dog.

I am in love with the way my body adapts to everything I attempt to do, even if it’s brand new, and the way my body learns and remembers for the next time I step on my mat.

Yoga has given me a new fascination and appreciation for the human body and made me realize how blessed I am to have the exact one that I have right now. Yoga has taught me to love my body for what it is, not what I wish it were. It taught me to be thankful for the flexibility and strength I already have, instead of blaming it for not already being at the best level. It taught me to laugh when I fall out of a pose that I’ve done a million times.

It taught me to move a little slower, breathe a little deeper, and smile a whole lot more. This body works for me 24.7, with trillions of cells that have ONE JOB of keeping me alive. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

So, I am sorry body, for all of the complaints and cruelty, for not nourishing you, for wishing you were different, for not loving you as much as you love me. You are a work of art. Thank you. I love you.