"In this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard."
~ excerpt from Beloved by Toni Morrison
I often ponder on the wonders and challenges of living in a human body. It seems that being truly embodied — with all of its necessary imperfections and messiness — is an endangered state of being these days. The widespread oppressions of the mind and ego — those parts of us that quest for perfection, beauty, and ever-lasting youth — are strong, loud and pervasive. We are immersed in delusional messages that want us to believe that only bodies that are constantly productive, able, or look a certain way are the most valued. This is a poisonous falsehood we must guard ourselves from.
Despite the harsh judgments we place upon our sacred bodies, and the trials we put them through, deep in our hearts we know the truth: our bodies are instruments for living this life fully and soulfully. There is nothing wrong with how they change, adapt, and grow — there is only wonder.