There wouldn’t be many us who haven’t run a critical eye over our own body and wished something was a little smaller, or bigger, firmer, more tanned, longer….. the list of defects can go on and on. Whilst some of us can walk away from the mirror unperturbed by what we have seen, others can obsess about improving their outward aesthetic. It can become all consuming, take over your thoughts, your life and your health.
With so many screens in our face these days, we seem to be constantly bombarded with society’s idea of beauty. People on our screens are shinier, teeth are whiter, skin glows, eyes sparkle, tummies are flat, biceps are defined, legs are long and lean. And all those beautiful people on our screens are so happy, so in love, so together.
Look around you – what percentage of actual people that you know look anything like this? The bar of where we are setting our body image goals has been set to a point that is unreachable.
So what if you decided to feel happy just as your are. Like that line from Bridget Jones Diary when Mark Darcy tells Bridget that he likes her very much “just as you are.” Doesn’t the sound of the sentence bring a sense of relief? You don’t have to try to be anyone but you. Of course you want to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself you can be… but it doesn’t have to involve extreme measures to attain something unachievable.
And that is basically Taryn Brumfitt’s message. When a Before and After shot of her went seriously viral on social media, it was for all the right reasons. The ‘Before’ shot was of Taryn unhappy in her finely sculpted Body-Building body in which she had gone to extreme measures to achieve. The ‘After’ shot was of Taryn happy in her naturally healthy body that she had made a conscious to decision to love for what it is. The response was massive, it was global and it was littered with celebrity feedback encouraging others to love themselves.
This was the beginning of Taryn’s mission to convince the world to love themselves. And so her film Embrace was created. If you are at all inclined to be critical of yourself and your body, I challenge you to watch this movie and not be moved. Taryn has covered this topic off so beautifully and honestly, it penetrates to your core and inspires to see yourself through different eyes.
Following the amazing response Taryn received to her film, she has also developed an online course, EMBRACE YOU, designed to help people move into a healthier head space when it comes to their body image. The course is brand new and if you’re interested in having a look at what it’s all about, head to http://www.embraceyouonline.com/
If you didn’t get a chance to catch Taryn’s interview on Episode 11, head to 9Now to watch on catchup tv.
Thanks Taryn, you’re an inspiration!
