What is body image and how can BodyMantra help?
Body Image. We hear all sorts of things about Body Image.
But what actually is it and how do we have a good one?
In the BodyMantra we break down the concept of Body Image and we also address it head on, so you can have a healthy and fluid relationship with your own Body Image.
What is body image?
The definition of Body Image put simply is: "What you believe about your own appearance" in other words, your perception of yourself in relation to your aesthetics.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), “Body image is how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind”.
It explores the feelings of what we believe about our own appearance (using memories, assumptions and generalisations). It takes into account how we feel about our body including the size, shape, weight and height and looks at how we sense and control our body.
What is BodyMantra?
A BodyMantra is your WHY.
It’s the heart-led purpose behind your health and wellness goals. Beyond how you want to feel in your body, WHY do you want this feeling? What is driving you to be a better you? Why do you want to lose 5 kgs? Why do you want to exercise more? Why do you want to achieve calmness in your overactive mind?
Your BodyMantra is the authentic feelings that you are chasing behind your actions.
Every action you take is either moving you toward a feeling or away from a feeling. The BodyMantra helps you grasp what you are trying to claim more of or trying to avoid. Once you get clear on this, you’ll have the motivation to bust through limiting beliefs and rise up, up, up to where you truly desire to be!
When you apply your BodyMantra through meditation, food, movement and mindset, you are living from a place of true happiness.
Your BodyMantra is your anchor, your secret weapon, your unwavering inner compass.
Why does Body image have such a negative connotation?
Body Image can be often seen in a negative light because we are constantly surrounded by social media and ways our body “should look”.
A person who sees their body in a negative light might:
Compare themselves to others
Feel embarrassed by their body
See parts of their body differently
Experience a lack of confidence
Feel uncomfortable about their body
All of these feelings can lead to a development of mental health issues. It can cause people (especially women) to pursue unhealthy weight loss strategies (like fad diets) and surgeries they don’t need.
It's part of human nature to compare ourselves to another person. However, we want to limit the amount as much as possible. One of the best things we can do is limit the information we are digesting. Have a think about what you consume daily.
Just like removing the junk food from your cupboard. Limit the magazines, reality TV shows, unfollow anyone on social media who makes you feel like you need to change. This is a really good exercise to do, notice how you FEEL when you open up someone's social media page.
There are some beautiful soul influencers that whenever I read their posts I feel like I should be doing more. It actually has nothing to do with them. I am sure they are wonderful humans living their life.
It's about me and what I am digesting and absorbing when I am on social media. We forget sometimes that we have the power to choose what we digest not only via the food we eat but the images that we can limit ourselves from seeing on a daily basis.
I want you to think about this, psychologists suggest the more one gossips or compares themselves, the more it shows a direct proportion to how they feel about themselves.
Why is a positive body image important for women/teenage girls?
A positive body image is when we understand our own sense of self-worth is not determined by our appearance.
It is important to have a positive body image as it allows us to:
See there is a broad idea of what beauty is
Have a body image that is stable
Generate inner positivity
The movement around positive body image works to help us manage the pressure we see that is generated on social media and in the online space.
According to The Body Positive organisation, “Beauty is not a single image, but the active embodiment and celebration of the self.”
When we focus on a positive body image, it can in fact help to reduce the obesity rates and helps us to achieve our wider health goals.
How can BodyMantra help with body image?
In the BodyMantra we break down the concept of Body Image and we also address it head on, so you can have a healthy and fluid relationship with your own Body Image.
The BodyMantra is the authentic feelings that you are chasing behind your actions.
When you apply your BodyMantra through meditation, food, movement and mindset, you are living from a place of true happiness.
At BodyMantra, we are focussed on helping teenage girls and pre-teens to help embed a positive body image. We do this through workshops and programs.
