Body Shame: What it is and how to overcome it <3

Today’s topic is: Body shame. It is everywhere, running rampant, impacting everyone. 

Body shame is when you deny, hate, or reject any part of your physical being. But, why are we taught to deny, hate, and reject ourselves rather than being taught to love every beautiful part of us? 

As children, we are programmed by society to believe that we are not inherently enough. We are told we aren’t beautiful enough, we aren’t thin enough, we aren’t enough period - and we buy into it. So many of us struggle with intense body shame for years (or a lifetime) as a result, and learning to deprogram those ingrained beliefs can take an immense amount of effort. 

Body shame isn’t natural. We are meant to love, accept, and be ourselves. We are born worthy, and everything else is a lie. Everything else is a projection from society. Let’s dump that shit, and redefine what it means to love ourselves and feel beautiful. 

Try asking yourself these four questions: 

1. What is the dialogue like with your body?
   Hold on, are you saying we should be talking to our bodies? Yes! When you listen to your body and really pay attention to it throughout the day, its needs and wants are loud and clear. Your body needs love, it needs nourishment, and it needs fuel. When you truly tune in to a conversation with your body, it will tell you what it wants to eat, when it wants to sleep, etc.
   
   
2. Does your body feel safe? 

You may not even realize just how unsafe your body feels until you ask yourself this question. For years, my body didn’t feel safe: I hid it, I repressed it, I was ashamed of it. Now, on the other side of that, living in a body that does feel safe - I wish this glorious feeling for all of you. 

       3. Do you trust your body? 

Your body shows up for you every day. Your lungs keep breathing, your heart keeps pumping - everything is working, but do you trust your body?
  
      4. Do you hide your body? 

I used to. When I look back at that version of me, hiding her body, I have so much compassion. She didn’t know any better. 

As a child, I had a terribly negative inner dialogue with myself and my body. I was the “fat” kid, and years of adolescent body shame led to an amphetamine addiction that would follow me for more than two decades along with a series of eating disorders. “Anything to be thin,” as I would say. Now, when I look at myself I just see this glorious, powerful woman. All that hatred and shame could be unlearned, and today, I can reflect on my former self with compassion. 

In this episode of the Cam Kashani show, I share stories from my past and pieces of wisdom that helped me escape body shame and fear and step into my true self, and to live in harmony with every part of my being. Listen to the full episode here and be sure to check out my Instagram for more on my self-love journey!