So, it turns out that the way I really needed to start out 2016 was with a big rant on body image.
The whole thing started with me writing an article for Elephant Journal titled In 2016, I Want to Be Bigger and Fatter.
This article quickly gained some web traction and as it traveled around the net and what I quickly learned is that fat shaming is alive and well.
In random places on the interweb I found not just the article itself being trashed, but my personal life and even my life as a parent ripped to shreds (and I thought the internet was a warm, fuzzy place where we all love each other).
Sarcarm aside, this experience just strengthened my view that firstly, mindfulness is uber- important, because from a place of mindfulness we can experience sensations in the body, such as shame, anger and resentment, as just that, experiences.
Temporary passing experiences that come and go.
And secondly, from that place of just noticing these temporary sensations, we can choose how we want to respond, versus just reacting in an attempt to dislodge the uncomfortable sensations from our bodies, mind, spirits and energetic systems.
It was from this view that I wrote this article about Getting Mean People to Stop Being Mean (spoiler alert, you can’t).
But of course, I kept thinking about the rude and outright dangerous responses to my article on wanting to be bigger and fatter and this anger and sadness welled up inside of me until I just had to say more.
Here is my call to action titled Putting and End to Fat Shaming: The Next Revolution.
Let me know what you think!