divineroots
by Liisa Robinson
Divine Roots Blog
Hip Checkin’
I am committed to this world being a place where there are spaces for all kinds of bodies. Of course, in my generation, thinness was a very valued commodity and to be anything else other than thin or “skinny” was in all sorts of ways that I won’t bother describing to you today presented as less than, or gross, or lazy, or some other nasty term. The messages may have been slippery and at times subtle, but the weight of them hit girls and women in our culture like a wrecking ball. Other times, there isn’t even a disguise on the message, it’s just harsh.
Now sometimes a body i
s holding more weight than it might need for very good reasons. Sometimes a body / mind / spirit is ready to let go of weight that is holding it down. Sometimes though, it’s just a body that is at it’s healthy spot and that’s not culturally acceptable. There is a healthy spot for all bodies. It shifts over a lifetime and with other factors in our lives. We know when we are there because we have energy when we wake in the morning, we can move, play, lift heavy things, chase after kids, dogs, or dreams and have energy to spare.
Given our culture, there is a part of me that is happy to see some more attempts at body positive messages on the internet (and in my own fitness centre). I am, however, a little torn by some of the messages which are attempts to create space for muscular, strong, and curvy bodies. At my gym, they are selling shirts that say “strong is the new skinny”. There is a part of me that wants to cheer when I see this shirt. Yes, strength is fantastic. But…..(it’s coming after the second example)
The second example is a picture that has been running amok on the internet… 
Again, there is a part of me that wants to cheer for the girls who have hips and curves that look like the ones on the bottom row. But….
Okay, here is the BUT. But we are still saying there is one way that is okay to look. Yes, strength is GREAT. Yes, those women in the bottom row are beautiful women to look at. But how much space do these images leave for all the other women. How about black women? How about butchy women? How about women who use wheelchairs? How about size 18 women? (this list could go on forever!) Yes, yes we know Marilyn was a size 14. And honestly…how much space does this leave for “skinny” women?
I’m more than a little troubled by the likely amount of plastic surgery in the top row and I am going to refrain from guessing about how each woman nourishes herself…but there are women out there who’s natural (read: I have energy, I eat when I’m hungry, I move and rest my body when it needs it) body size is a very slim build. I’m not sure we need to slam these women to make space for my hips. I know women, who are naturally thin, who struggled with “knobby knees” and “boy hips” and “fried egg breasts” in high school (and even as adult women). As long as there is one or two or three looks that are acceptable, we’re all still stuck! Yes, strong is good, and skinny as a fitness goal was never a great or healthy goal, but I’m not sure I’m going to be wearing one of those shirts anytime soon because I’d like to leave a little more space for my skinny sisters.
So, for the love of Pete…could we just make a little more space for ALL women instead of having to hip check some of them out to make room for white, able-bodied, pouty-lipped, size 14 hips???
Please note: the information on this blog is not intended to be therapeutic. Your own knowledge of self (perhaps supplemented by your own therapeutic relationships) should supercede advice or thoughts read on the internet.