Reclaiming Your Body

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been asking the question, “When was the last time you felt REALLY good in your body?”

First, I asked inside the private community for Project Reclamation. Next, I asked my email list. Then I asked on social media. 

The responses I’ve gotten have been pretty…telling. 

Only one person has said that feeling good in her body is the norm. And she’s a yoga instructor. So doing things to support feeling good in her body is literally her job.

For everyone else? Not so much. 

There were some themes that came up, though. And these themes tell the story of how we’re socialized to relate to our bodies. 

“I can’t remember the last time I felt REALLY good in my body” was a common type of response. 

Digging deeper into these, two themes emerged: safety and body image. 

For some folks, there’s a history of illness, injury, or trauma that has led to them feeling unsafe in their bodies. 

For others, simply living in our patriarchal, white supremacist, puritanical, ultra-capitalistic society has resulted in them believing that their bodies are somehow wrong or bad. That they don’t look, behave, or perform in a way that is good enough. 

Another theme that emerged related to nourishment. 

When we’re nourishing our bodies — yes, with foods and beverages that feel good to consume and digest — but also with rest, sunshine, fresh air, play, internal and external hydration, and other methods of physical self-care, our bodies feel better. 

A lot of the responses were connected to what one of our Project Reclamation members called “happy movement.” 

Moving our bodies in ways that feel good (which is NOT a universal type of movement) also allows our bodies to feel better. And when our bodies physically feel better, we feel better IN them. 

Another theme in several of the responses had to do with adornment. 

When no one will see us, we often dress differently than we do when we go out. The grocery store is not the same outfit as a date night. Because we tend to dress for other people. But we often feel better in those garments than we do when we’re dressing for ourselves. What if you decided to dress in a way that meant you always felt good in your clothes, regardless of who would see you? If you were dressing for YOU, what would be different?

The last theme I noticed from the responses? “During or after sex.”

Embodiment is required to be present during sex. And when we’re embodied, we can notice heightened sensory pleasures. Though that’s available in other ways, sex provides a really beautiful opportunity to explore pleasure through our bodies. 

Why am I sharing these themes with you? 

Because when YOU think of the last time you felt REALLY good in your body, if your answer falls under one or more of the six categories of Safety, Body Image, Nourishment, Movement, Adornment, or Sexuality, you’re not alone. 

And, in fact, you’re in exactly the right place. 

I’ve tapped into my background as a massage therapist, sexual health educator, and master certified life coach to address these six themes in a 6-week Body Reclamation course. 

Starting Wednesday, May 8, we’ll embark on a journey together to dive into each of the themes in a small group. 

You’ll receive structured curriculum to help you break down your socialized narratives about your body, cultivate emotional safety within yourself, nourish and move your body in ways that feel good to you, adorn yourself FOR YOU, and explore your own sensual pleasure centers. 

You’ll have a trusted community for support, encouragement, and connection. 

You’ll have me to guide you through every step of the process. 

And you’ll come out the other side with a more solid, grounded, positive relationship to your body. 

Want in? Just DM me, and I’ll send you the registration form.

Spots are extremely limited because I take “small group” very seriously. So if you’re interested (or even just a little curious) reach out. 

You deserve to reclaim your body. For you.