What is Beauty?

According to the OED, Beauty is defined as: That quality of a person (esp. a woman) which is highly pleasing to the sight; perceived physical perfection; attractive harmony of features, figure, or complexion; exceptional grace, elegance, or charm in appearance.

Quickly my brain is scattered by this definition. Dissecting it word by word. First, beauty is defined by what is highly pleasing to the sight. Hmm. The term beauty is universally used yet it is subjective to each person. Just to help understand let's say two people look at a tree. Well one may sees the tree and may notice the vibrant green that the leaves are, making it intriguing to them. But the other person may see how tall the tree is and is taken back by its size, in awe by it's magnitude. Whatever it may be we see things in our own eyes. So how can beauty be universal, yet not one person can define beauty the same. Whose definition of beauty is better or more right? Or is one even right? Our first problem with the term beauty.

Second, "attractive harmony of features, figure, or complexion; " what in the fuck is attractive harmony of features, figure, or complexion. Because I'm pretty sure our features, our figure and our complexion are constantly changing. Especially as women. Women go through so many different body changes throughout our lives how can a figure define our beauty. No wonder we can never accomplish beauty bc we will never stay the same! Whether it's get old and everything is hanging a little bit more than it used to. Or you have a baby and you're boobs are soft along with everything else. Not to mention we get gray hairs and wrinkles! And complexion fuck! Not even white people have the same complexion. Which complexion is more beautiful!? Tf. No one is white just white or just black. We are browns, tans, yellows, cream, pink, you name it. Oh so when you sunburn does that mean you aren't beautiful anymore? Or what about in the summer when I turn a different shade of brown? Has my beauty changed? Faulty as fuck. Society makes us believe our colored skin is a bad thing yet tanning booths are poppin. Another faulty point to what beauty is! Beauty can never be achieved if this is the case. Once again who is setting the standard for beauty?

Last, "esp for women" damn. This is fucked up yall. Beauty is now a feminine trait. Although men struggle with issues it makes sense that they don't have as blatant issues with their bodies as women do. Women's beauty is valued by our physical nature. That is forever changing!!! I can't tell you how many times I went from having Beyoncés booty to miss no booty. From basically nipples to full Cs and back. This may have been within a 5 year span! I'm fucked. Women we are fucked. We will never be the same. As young girls we hit puberty. Our hormones go crazy we get acne, we may get boobs , we may start to get hips. Then we start having kids. Our bodies change tremendously or maybe you don't have kids but your body still changes as your metabolism begins to slow so you notice you can't eat like you used to with out seeing it smack on your hips. Then our hair begins to change. And our skin begins to wrinkle. Does our beauty fade ? Hell no it doesn't.

Either this definition NEEDS to change or the word beauty can go fly a kite. Beauty has been poured on us all from a young age. By companies who want to make you feel less than because of how you look. Because your skin isn't a "perfect complexion" mind you what does that even mean? Oh like the nice tan white girl on the cover? I think not. Or your figure isn't ok? Like the tall thin model with perfect photoshopped legs? Or is it the girl with the booty injections. Jeez it's so hard to keep up do you want us to be thin or do you want us to be curvy?

You see I just want to be happy! I want to be healthy. I want to feel good because my body isn't in pain! I want to feel beautiful because I poured into my yoga class. Feel beautiful because I poured into my kids. Feel good because I feel alive! I don't want to have to worry about my loose belly after I just gave life or my bounce back game ::rolling eyes::. I don't want to have to continue looking at the mirror at my already small chest and feel sad because nursing two kids for two plus years has changed them. I should feel strong. I should feel beautiful that I gave life to two kids and fueled them. I shouldn't be ashamed because I don't look like the person next to me. It's exhausting trying to be this definition of beauty. Because we never will be. The real beauty is separated from our physical being, transcending the flesh. Who we are! It's not defined by mans standards of beauty, our body, our labels, our sexuality. it's more subjective! you are you and that is beauty!

This term beauty has shaped how we view who we are. We hold so much of ourselves in our body. Using our physical body as our definition of beauty. Which is fleeting so we can never achieve this "beauty" society has brought upon us. This is why I loved everything about the body image workshop I held this past weekend because it was such a huge reminder that we need to love ourselves first. So we don't have to look at other people and nit pick on them because of our own insecurities. We all struggle with some type of comparison battle but comparison is the thief of joy! Because YOU will never be THEM but the beauty of that is THEY will never be YOU! As you go through your day, the rest of your week, the rest of your life. Remember that! Remember that your beauty isn't defined by your physical being, by your ability to appeal to the satisfy to the sight of someone else, your beauty is you, who YOU are. Once you hold that in your core, no one can take that away!

"Beauty is YOU"

This term beauty has shaped how we view who we are. We hold so much of ourselves in our body. Using our physical body as

I hosted a night of Yoga tapping into the solar plexus chakra, which is the third chakra located at the navel, in your core. The solar plexus is where we hold our willpower, our self-esteem. It's where we digest our life. Allowing ourselves to move forward. In a literal and physical sense. Correlating to the digestive system, pancreas, adrenal, and gall bladder. When we are out of balance with manipura we become overwhelmed or maybe even stagnant. We may experience digestive issues and things that effect those body parts.

I lead the group in a candle light meditation to represent their core, finding that flame inside the fuels our power. Finding our beauty within. Allowing ourselves through yoga and meditation to separate our body from our spiritual being. Prakriti & Purusha. Following yoga were different exercise to open discussion on body image. It was very inspiring and a great reminder that we need to be more kind to ourselves. We can be our worst critic on top of all the other battles we have to fight from the external world. I am looking forward to hosting many more workshops to help others and myself to learn and/or to continue to learn to love ourselves. If we start with ourselves it will only reflect on how we treat other people! We could use more love & compassion in our society.

Sincerely,

Jordan Olivia