| sauvage1983 ( @ 2008-05-12 23:31:00 |
Bodily awareness
One little discussed byproduct of the push for women to hate their bodies is the fallout from the split that emerges between mind/body.
I imagine a big contributing factor is that dieting rhetoric makes it sound as if there is "you" and then there is "your fat" or "your body". That there is the "skinny girl" inside all of that chub. Furthering this split are the attempts to comfort fat girls by telling them what great personalities they have, how smart they are, etc. Those things are wonderful and true, but it serves to further separate women's minds from their bodies.
I've noticed this in myself in a number of ways. Currently or in the past, I have been known to:
--ignore or diminish if I am in pain
--ignore/diminish being too hot or cold
--think spending money on things for my body are "not worth it" because what difference does a softer shirt make?
--find myself confused by how tired I am after doing several tasks in a row
One thing that has certainly brought me back into my body is sex. From there, I've been working to erase the lines between my body and myself. If without my body I cease to exist then my body is me. I find myself doing more and more things that respect what my body wants---buying laundry detergent that smells nice, spending a little more for that soft shirt, investing in a window herb garden to have the freshest flavors available. I am trying to pay more attention to my bodily comfort and to estimate and plan better for when I will be tired, hungry, or achy.
How are you all with this issue? Experience it or don't? How do you deal?
One little discussed byproduct of the push for women to hate their bodies is the fallout from the split that emerges between mind/body.
I imagine a big contributing factor is that dieting rhetoric makes it sound as if there is "you" and then there is "your fat" or "your body". That there is the "skinny girl" inside all of that chub. Furthering this split are the attempts to comfort fat girls by telling them what great personalities they have, how smart they are, etc. Those things are wonderful and true, but it serves to further separate women's minds from their bodies.
I've noticed this in myself in a number of ways. Currently or in the past, I have been known to:
--ignore or diminish if I am in pain
--ignore/diminish being too hot or cold
--think spending money on things for my body are "not worth it" because what difference does a softer shirt make?
--find myself confused by how tired I am after doing several tasks in a row
One thing that has certainly brought me back into my body is sex. From there, I've been working to erase the lines between my body and myself. If without my body I cease to exist then my body is me. I find myself doing more and more things that respect what my body wants---buying laundry detergent that smells nice, spending a little more for that soft shirt, investing in a window herb garden to have the freshest flavors available. I am trying to pay more attention to my bodily comfort and to estimate and plan better for when I will be tired, hungry, or achy.
How are you all with this issue? Experience it or don't? How do you deal?