It’s Spring and Physical Awareness in April! No, we are not forcing you to work out…but we are encouraging it! Last month we focused on incorporating foods and activities that help promote healthy doses of the chemicals in our brains that make us happy! This month we are going to look at the rest of our body. Whole body health is just as important, so we need to pay attention to the messages our body gives us, what we put in our bodies, how we move our bodies, and last, how we view our bodies! Each week will focus on one of these notions and at the end, we will provide all the resources to further assist you in your journey!
I decided to do this month based on my own journey with physical awareness. The next paragraph tells my story of why physical awareness was key in my life and as hard as it is for me to share this part of me, I realize that I can’t encourage other women or empower them if I don’t step into my own power.
Warning: The next paragraph discusses trauma around pregnancy. If you feel this may set off any triggers, I don’t encourage you to read it or to do so with caution.
During my second pregnancy, I was huge. The doctors even looked to see if I was having an oversize baby but it was just water weight. In my last trimester, a week before my baby girl was due, I lost my daughter to stillbirth. I spent 7 days in the hospital not being able to walk because of an epidural that only worked on one side of my body and my right leg was bent so far back during birth that it was like dead weight for days after. I’d lost so much blood that my husband thought I was going to die and I had to get a blood and plasma transfusion. My kidneys were also shot and I officially became anemic. On top of that, my abs split and resulted in a dime sized hernia. I went to physically therapy to try to fix my split abs (known as Diastasis Recti) and after a while my training didn’t improve so I opted out. I remember feeling depressed and alone. Not only did I lose my child, but I was left to see all the physical damage that had been done to my body. I had a bulge left that still made me look somewhat pregnant and it just wouldn’t go away. I got so insecure that I would hide my body. I wouldn’t wear anything tight or even think about putting on swimwear.
5 years later, I am still working on loving my body. I am learning that my body went through a lot of trauma and I need to appreciate the fact that it didn’t give up on me. I am learning to love it which means I need to take steps to nourish it and appreciate it. I had to go through some of the steps we will cover this month to get to where I am. And I am still progressing! So I want to empower you to do the same. No matter what your body looks like or what it’s been through. You are still fabulous and you deserve the best!
P.S. Yes I am still rocking my post baby bump. It is a painful reminder at times but it also reminds me that “Rowyn was here”. It is because of her, Elise, and my mom that I know that I can do the hard things (even working out).
With sincerity and love,
Tribe of E-Three
Leave a Reply