Come As You Are

I don’t know who needs to hear this… but your body is not gross. A few weeks ago, a client apologized to me for her body. She said, “I’m sorry if my fat body grosses you out.” I couldn’t help but laugh—not at her, but at the sheer absurdity of that idea. And then, just as quickly, I felt the weight of what she was really saying. The deep, ingrained shame so many of us carry about our bodies. Here’s the truth: the more we condemn and criticize our bodies, the more distant and uncooperative they become. Shame doesn’t motivate healing. It creates disconnection. As a bodyworker, my job isn’t just to treat injuries or work on muscles. My deeper work is in helping shorten the gap of disconnection between you and your body. To invite you back into relationship with the part of you that you may have ignored, hated, apologized for, or judged. This work is about remembrance. About returning. I am not here to agree with the stories of lack or disappointment you’ve been told (or tell yourself) about your body. I am here to offer it the love, presence, and care it doesn’t often receive. So please—never apologize for your unshaven legs, your untoned muscles, your rashy skin, your wrinkly skin, or your soft belly. Come as you are.