28 Dec Beautiful You, Healthy Holidays, Hybernation?
Massage Fits You (yes, Beautiful YOU!)
Sol Benson loathed her body. It went beyond mere embarrassment at how “fat” she was. Deeper still was the conviction that her body was unworthy of love, underserving of nurturing.
And it was that alienation from her own body that for years kept Benson, a professional dancer who has waged a lifelong battle with anorexia, from getting massage. “I stayed away because getting a massage was being good to myself,” said the 45-year-old Colorado mother of two, whose own mother and brother are massage therapists. “If I’m on a weight loss cycle, it’s like ‘I don’t deserve love, I don’t deserve food, I don’t deserve to feel good about myself.'”
Benson explains, that helped the process. Her nonjudgmental ways helped Benson maintain balance. If, however, Rose had brought up weight, or in this case, the lack thereof, Benson admits it could have sent her into another purging cycle.
Managing Body Image
Benson’s story illustrates just how complex the issues of body image can be in 21st century America and just how valuable bodywork is in mending distorted body image.
Developing a positive body image is about becoming present, grounded, open, aware, and unafraid to find what’s…
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