Ode to my Body

For all the years I've had a negative relationship with my body, an ode was born...

ODE TO MY BODY

Who are you?

Nice to meet you.

I’m releasing coping with body shame by myself because I felt like I needed to deal with it all alone.

I’m releasing the pressure to eat perfectly which so often resulted in a binge.

I’m releasing that those clothes will ever fit again.

I’m releasing looking into the mirror and having my eyes go immediately to my belly, as if there wasn't a full human standing there.

I’m releasing how my daily self-love meter was measured based entirely on whether my tummy looked slim or bloated that day.

I am releasing that as a 31 year old woman each day I expect you to morph back into your 19 year old self.

The truth is, when I was 19 and 120 lbs I still wasn't happy with my body.

Dear body, I’m sorry for letting the patriarchy win for so long. For ignoring the beauty in front of me.

You are beautiful. You are loved. You are divine.

I bow to you.

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In Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts we were encouraged to write Ode’s to our bodies or a specific body part and find the gratitude, the beauty.

What part of you is thirsty for an ode?

Sara Chizek