Print Friendly

Print Friendlyby Tapati I remember the lines. You remember the lines. Team captains dividing us into the more or less worthy as we stood waiting for our doom. Nervous laughter accompanying some of the choices. The smell of perspiration pervading the gym as tension mounted and fewer of us remained to be chosen. No one wanted to be last. It was embarrassing enough to be among the last few. We would sell out our best friend rather than be chosen last. We promised God anything if only we would not be last. Sometimes the worst Full post …

Print Friendly

Print Friendlyby Tapati The Model: Five years ago I would have laughed at the suggestion I might be doing nude modeling for an artist. Nothing could have been further from my mind. I was only beginning to work on changing my body image. I was just beginning to appreciate my wide hips, powerful buttocks, smallish breasts, and round belly with its network of stretch marks like ribbons of fine silk. The only parts of my body I had always liked were my blue-green eyes and my soft, thick brown hair. It was a major step Full post …

Print Friendly

Print Friendlyby Tapati This assignment is meant to be interactive. It is a guided visualization followed by discussion or journal writing. You can handle this either by having someone read it to you, going slowly enough for you to visualize, or you can record it and then play it back for yourself. Before you do the visualization exercise, please start by getting into a comfortable position and relaxing with some slow, deep breaths. The concept for this exercise originated with Marcia Hutchinson although I am writing this version myself. You should check out her book, Full post …

Print Friendly

Print Friendlyby Tapati 1) Make a list of ten things you would do if you really loved your body. Pick one and start doing it now. As you progress you can choose other things from the list. This is an especially powerful exercise for those women who have been waiting to do nearly everything “until I lose those pounds.” 2) Create a support system of friends who support you in loving the body you have now. You may find that your circle of friends shifts as you seek out people who are supportive and leave Full post …

Print Friendly

Print Friendlyby Tapati This one can be a quick brainstorm for most of you–it’s the second step that will take more time. Make a list of ten things you would like to do if you had your ideal body that you aren’t doing now. Most of us do have a picture in mind of what our ideal body would look like–plus or minus x pounds, minus the scar, with a little more or less height, younger/older, different hair or features–and we imagine we’d be more confident and take more risks or do different things if Full post …

Print Friendly

Print FriendlyBody Image Playlist by Tapati Beautiful by Christina Aguilera Mahbootay by Laura Love Video by Indie Arie Girl Next Door and Imperfection by Saving Jane At Seventeen by Janis Ian Why do you love me? or Bleed like me by Garbage Crazy by Simple Plan Unpretty by TLC Perfectly Flawed by Otep Fat Boy by Bizarre Baby Got Back by Sir Mixalot (ok, yes this is funny but those of us with large butts were really happy to have a veritable anthem!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NLQ Recommends … ‘Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment’ Full post …