Stepping Away From the Comfort Zone: Abdominal Massage

by Debra K, The Journey into Wellbeing

You don’t have to look very far to see the repercussions of female body shaming. Turn on the television and we are bombarded with products that make us slimmer, hairless, smell better, and give us the glistening locks every man desires. Walk through a grocery store and on your way past the aisle of diet shakes and pills you might catch a glimpse of the perfectly photo-shopped models gracing this month’s glam magazine. It doesn’t take much for a regular gal like me to get in the dumps and feel “less than.” It also doesn’t take much for a young girl to begin experimenting with eating disorders to try and achieve an impossible goal.

I have faced a personal struggle with my body since my first boyfriend, who upon seeing my body for the first time said… “Uhhhh, it looks okay, I guess.” His being only the first voice of recrimination, quickly followed by my cheerleading coach who said I was “way too big” to be on top of the pyramid, then by my own inner voice, which has been far crueler than anyone else ever could be.

Not so long ago, as I prepared to bring my dream to life of creating a television program that would inspire people to accept where they are and take the first steps to become healthier, something shifted internally for me. A new voice spoke up and, for the first time, it quieted the inner critic; the voice that had been telling me for weeks I was too big to be on-camera and that I should have lost weight. This time, because I was linked into something bigger than me, I knew, chubby roll and all, I had to show up and give it my everything. If I could do something I was ashamed of and put it on display, maybe this would inspire someone else to step out of the shadows to claim their light and follow their dream.

This video clip is “The Moment” I stepped up and shone as brightly as I was able. Even in the midst of my uncomfortableness, which you will see, I did it. I did it to help heal myself and I did it for you. When watching this clip, strong emotions surface. But, mostly I feel like that chubby little belly holds far less power over me.

If you would like to watch the pilot episode of the Journey into Wellbeing, which is currently airing on PBS, please visit JourneyIntoWellbeing.com.