RADICAL SELF-LOVE is CHANGING MY LIFE… here’s how.
“Radical self-love demands that we see ourselves and others in the fullness of our complexities and intersections and that we work to create space for those differences to be honored and valued.”
Loving others comes naturally to me… it’s loving myself that’s been a challenge.Hell, it’s been more than a challenge... At times, I felt like I hated myself… mentally beating myself up over every failure… every unmet expectation… My self-hate is what led me to my journey of radical self-love…
and for that... I’m grateful. I stumbled across Sonya Renee Taylor’s book, 'My Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love' on my quest for self-hate relief, and at first glance, you might think I'm not Taylor's target audience... Taylor's plus size, and I am not... but her message rings loud for all bodies of all sizes: love it. Love it RADICALLY. Taylor argues that this kind of self-love isn't just personal; it's political. By loving ourselves, we can change how we interact with the world, making it a more inclusive and compassionate place. It's a call to stop apologizing for who we are and start celebrating it. Taylor’s message is empowering and liberating, encouraging readers to reject harmful societal norms and to recognize that every body, no matter its shape, size, or ability, is worthy of love.“We have been taught to believe that to love our bodies is a sin, but the true sin is refusing to honor the vessel that holds our soul.”
What radical self-love means for me:
Skipping a weightlifting session when my body is tired.
Focusing on loving myself before loving anyone/thing else.
Seeing mistakes as lessons rather than failures.
Exercising by doing the things I love rather than the things I think will make me skinny/strong.
Practicing gratitude for my body and all the amazing things it does.
Radical self-love deepened my yoga practice, built up my self-confidence, and set me on the ultimate wellness journey. Now, I care much less about what others think of me, and a lot more about what I think of myself. I catch myself in some negative self-talk, and I shut it down. I tell myself, 'you're allowed to make mistakes. You're human.' Radical self-love is part of what led me to start Celestial Nomad, and why I'm writing this right now. I want to show others how radical self-love can change their lives too. Life is about enjoying the journey, and that means our body's journey too; enjoying every last imperfection, every last line and wrinkle, every last flab of skin or fat. It means enjoying the yoga poses we can't do yet, the ones we don't enjoy at all, and the poses that make us reflect on our deepest thoughts and emotions. “To love ourselves is to understand that we are not bound by society’s narrow definitions of beauty, ability, or worth.”
