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Posted: October 16, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: American Idol, Biggest Loser, blogging, Bob Harper, compassion, crossfit, cycling, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, health, Holley Mangold, hope, kettlebell, kindness, life, Lincoln, Lincoln Nebraska, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, NBC, nebraska, Olympic weightlifting, Omaha, Omaha Nebraska, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 8 CommentsI am not an angel,” I asserted; “and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself-
Before we get started with the usual jibber-jabber a few important notes:
Two women I sincerely look up to and love are back in the news. Holley Mangold is on this seasons run of The Biggest Loser (whatever this is). Her passion, authenticity and spirit are simply beautiful and empowering! Long time readers keenly know I have been on the Team Mangold bandwagon for quite some time and I hope you hop on as well! Also in the news is my dearest friend Anne. Anne and her relay team consisting of some rather dashing and lovely young ladies took first place in the annual Market to Market relay between Omaha, Nebraska and Lincoln, Nebraska. I learn more from Anne than she will ever learn from me, brilliant performance!
… What follows is a draft I started yet never got around polishing up to post. What you read below is unedited, pouring out of my heart and thoughts concerning weight, sensuality and image. Taboo topics to so many …
A woman or man who is worried about their appearance will never be able to relax enough to let their true sensuality and spirit shine upon us.
If we are insistently worried about our tummy overhang and flabby arms, we become tense to the world. Far too many of us spend countless hours staring in a mirror and in our lovers arms on alert for reassurances from them, that they are indeed attractive enough to “us“.
If we look deeply enough in their eyes, in our own hearts we will indeed see that we really are: Beautiful and Sensual.
If we are ashamed of our shape, the damn number on a scale – We will be stilled. We will not feel entitled to being seen in public and between the sheets, we fade quietly into the background of not wanting to seek attention, never allowing our brilliance to shine.
Notes:
I loathe sharing self-serving advice, prefacing statements … Learn to feel and love your body, express your passion openly onto this beautiful world. Be the Lilly of the Night that opens its petals, openly defy the description(s) the world has placed on you – Shine.
CultFit 
I feel this is true of all body types. I grew up thin and judged for that. Our society has created so many rules, judgements, etc. to keep us locked away from the divinity, majesty and brilliance that we posses to keep us from owning and expressing it. Indeed self love and acceptance is the key to get out of that box.
To compliment your thoughts and to give you a little context on why I so passionately feel this way … I coach local runners, cyclist and budding “athletes”. The technical aspect of coaching is rather cut and dry: Move your body and have fun. That’s pretty easy. Where I differ is that I tend to overlook outward performance – numbers and results. And instead shine a light upon the individual, their smile, eagerness to show up at god awful hours and pour their heart out. My dear friend Anne and I have a little trick to weed out the folks who want to genuinely improve and those who just want to look the part: Schedule a light yoga flow at 5am on a Saturday morning, with a bike ride or run after. 🙂 Talk about stepping out of a box …
I understand. I see that too in my 35 year holistic therapy practice…people who just want me to wave a magic wand but not do any of the inner or outer work to change themselves, then they blame me or the work if their lives/bodies don’t change immediately.
Anne is definitely an awe-inspiring Lily of the Night. =)
One of many I have been blessed to have in my life 🙂
Well make sure you take care of her! Though at the rate she’s going, she’s probably taking care of you. 😉
I’m completely comfortable admitting that at age 69, Anne can dance circles around me. 🙂
Let her dance in circles!! We need such angels in our lives. =)