Hot or Not? You choose

At my gym, the room where yoga is held has floor to ceiling mirrors, which can be kind of annoying on the days you're feeling pudgy. On one particular day, I was doing my best to avoid watching myself - but in yoga, you kind of have to watch yourself sometimes just to see if you are anywhere in the ballpark of the amazingly limber instructor as she demonstrates poses. So,I found myself gazing at my reflection, hating the way my hips seemed wider than usual.


But then, I decided to just stop it. And, beyond that, I decided to love the way I look, if just for this hour. And, I have to say - it really worked. I looked at myself as if I was another woman, admired my curves, and my strength. I went through the poses relishing my muscles and what they could do for me, and I felt, well....hot. Not as in overheated, I mean as in kind of attractive. Just because I changed my mind.


The image that we have of ourself is typically much harsher than reality. When we gain five pounds, we think it looks as obvious as pink hair. But, it's not - no one really notices. Do we really need to be so hard on ourselves over something that no one else really sees or cares about?


That saying that beauty comes from the inside is true, on many different levels; part of the truth is that beauty comes from us when we believe it is there. When we aren't beating ourselves up and wishing we looked different, and when we actually choose to like the way we look, we act differently. It also frees up some of our brainpower to focus on something other than our thigh cellulite - which is a relief.