Body Image

When my friend Bonnie was here, we went to this fabulous indoor spa up the street from my place.  It is the largest indoor hot springs facility in Asia and it is a pretty fancy joint! 

I'm not the skinniest woman - we all know that.  How many times did my students come up to me a school, poke my belly, and ask, "Ms. Storey, are you having a baby?"  Yeah, a few too many times. I'm a fairly modest person and over the years I really have grown to have an appreciation for my body even thought it isn't a size 2 or perhaps what society would term as ideal.  Pretty much my attitude is "what you see is what you get" and I'm not sure how healthy of an attitude that is but you know, I like good food and I've never been one to exercise a whole lot either.  I'm not one to go showing myself off and there are things I am a bit more self-conscious about than others.  Society has done a pretty good job of making sure we hate our bodies.  From a religious standpoint, I believe in modesty and that we should love ourselves and that includes everything - not just who we are as people but our physical selves as well.  I'd be a hypocrite to say I loved everything about myself because I don't.  I know my weaknesses and I try to be better one step at a time.  But I can now say that I have a love and appreciation for my imperfect body.  I think I came to realize this when my friend and I went to the spa here in Bejing.

When I got to the spa and first walked in I saw something I didn't expect.  I expected a more "private" place, but nope.  There were all these Chinese women walking around naked and with pride - at the spa to enjoy themselves and time with their friends.  That was all they cared about.  So I was a bit taken aback by this.  Seriously, not a scene I was accustomed to. And no way would I do this in America.  The Chinese women didn't seem to mind or care so why should I?  So at first, yeah I was a bit self-conscious, but after putting on my swimsuit (which looked better on me that it has in awhile because of the weight I have lost here) and spending some time out at the hot spring pools, I let all my cares go and by the end, felt pretty at home with my Chinese sisters in that locker room.  

I think men and women feel an amazing amount of unrealistic social pressure to look a certain way.  I know I have felt that in my life but with growth, experience, and maturity, I've been able to truly accept my physical self - quirks, imperfections, and it's beauties as well.  As a believer in the concept that we are created after the image and likeness of God, I know there is a sacredness associated with the human body.  And as strange as it sounds, I'm really grateful for that spa.  In a weird way I would say I gained some insight into myself not only as a physical being but as a spiritual one as well.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else, but it does to me.