Body Image Love #90: Diversity
In reference to my previous post: Loving the Body you Have,I'll be posting the exercises that I do from that book here. I'm a sort of disordered personality with things like this, so I won't be going in order through the book. Instead, I'll be picking and choosing numbers at random, posting the actual exercises here and then linking back on the original post (which will be on the sidebar here on this journal) for your reference.
90. Diversity
in the scenery of spring
there is nothing superior nothing inferior
flowering branches are by nature
some short some long
-Zen proverb
Human beings come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. And yet most of us aspire to cookie-cutter bodies. Spend this day reveling in the diversity of human bodies in the world. Notice how many different body types there are. Notice differences in color, size, shape, height, weight, age, proportion. Allow yourself to enjoy the great variety of human types, and ask yourself if it makes any sense that so many of us aspire to fit a single mold.
When many of think about diversity, we think in terms of ideologies. We think different things, lead different lives, have different cultures. But we don't look appropriately at the actual diversity among human beings. We might classify difference even within our own race (for me, distinguishing between Spanish-speaking Latinos and non-Spanish speaking Latinos for example, or the difference between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans). But we don't look at the actual shell of ourselves. Perhaps because we do live in such a color-blind society we consciously avert our eyes from recognizing and truly appreciating those differences.
I look at this crowded coffee house and I see first the differences in clothing styles. I could categorize them all. I could label them. I could distinguish them. But then I look a bit deeper. The liver spots on one woman's arms. The crisp texture of that man's hair. The wrinkles written on that man's smile. The shininess of that woman's legs. Immediately, I'm drawn to conclusions and judgments. "Oh god, I hope I don't look like that when I grow old" or "He must have such an easy time styling his hair". I fail to recognize that they might be looking at me and making the same conclusions and judgments "Oh she must have really let herself go" or "I wish I had her hair". Even by acknowledging the diversity of others around me, it takes an extra effort to jump to the appreciation portion of this exercise.
I mean, how many of these women struggle with their weight like I do? How many of these men are secretly hoping they could erase the lines on their faces? Even by acknowledging our differences, the beauty of the bodies we have, we find a commonality. I have a need to fit a certain mold as a young, 30-year old Latina just like he has a need to fit a certain mold as a 30-year old Asian man. Is it the same mold? No, but it's a mold that is outside of where we are now. It's something that is OTHER than what we are. We aren't acknowledging that true diversity that we hold at an individual level. There is no other woman out there who has my eyes, my stance, my figure, my breasts...no one else who has my package...and I don't carry her package at all. What a silly concept that she and I could...if we worked hard enough...believed enough...sacrificed enough could have more or less the same image. But then I would lose my curves, which I actually do like, I'd have to change some very paramount things about myself in order to achieve that one mold.
And not one of us was created to fit into a mold. We were made to fit into the mold of our own skin, no matter its color, it's shape. It was created to contain the genetic data that forms us and therefore will conform only to what is contained inside. and...honestly, I feel satisfied with that. In our individual "I am a unique snowflake" world, we need to acknowledge and appreciate that our diversity as individuals is fated and perfect.
90. Diversity
in the scenery of spring
there is nothing superior nothing inferior
flowering branches are by nature
some short some long
-Zen proverb
Human beings come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. And yet most of us aspire to cookie-cutter bodies. Spend this day reveling in the diversity of human bodies in the world. Notice how many different body types there are. Notice differences in color, size, shape, height, weight, age, proportion. Allow yourself to enjoy the great variety of human types, and ask yourself if it makes any sense that so many of us aspire to fit a single mold.
When many of think about diversity, we think in terms of ideologies. We think different things, lead different lives, have different cultures. But we don't look appropriately at the actual diversity among human beings. We might classify difference even within our own race (for me, distinguishing between Spanish-speaking Latinos and non-Spanish speaking Latinos for example, or the difference between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans). But we don't look at the actual shell of ourselves. Perhaps because we do live in such a color-blind society we consciously avert our eyes from recognizing and truly appreciating those differences.
I look at this crowded coffee house and I see first the differences in clothing styles. I could categorize them all. I could label them. I could distinguish them. But then I look a bit deeper. The liver spots on one woman's arms. The crisp texture of that man's hair. The wrinkles written on that man's smile. The shininess of that woman's legs. Immediately, I'm drawn to conclusions and judgments. "Oh god, I hope I don't look like that when I grow old" or "He must have such an easy time styling his hair". I fail to recognize that they might be looking at me and making the same conclusions and judgments "Oh she must have really let herself go" or "I wish I had her hair". Even by acknowledging the diversity of others around me, it takes an extra effort to jump to the appreciation portion of this exercise.
I mean, how many of these women struggle with their weight like I do? How many of these men are secretly hoping they could erase the lines on their faces? Even by acknowledging our differences, the beauty of the bodies we have, we find a commonality. I have a need to fit a certain mold as a young, 30-year old Latina just like he has a need to fit a certain mold as a 30-year old Asian man. Is it the same mold? No, but it's a mold that is outside of where we are now. It's something that is OTHER than what we are. We aren't acknowledging that true diversity that we hold at an individual level. There is no other woman out there who has my eyes, my stance, my figure, my breasts...no one else who has my package...and I don't carry her package at all. What a silly concept that she and I could...if we worked hard enough...believed enough...sacrificed enough could have more or less the same image. But then I would lose my curves, which I actually do like, I'd have to change some very paramount things about myself in order to achieve that one mold.
And not one of us was created to fit into a mold. We were made to fit into the mold of our own skin, no matter its color, it's shape. It was created to contain the genetic data that forms us and therefore will conform only to what is contained inside. and...honestly, I feel satisfied with that. In our individual "I am a unique snowflake" world, we need to acknowledge and appreciate that our diversity as individuals is fated and perfect.