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Gentle Change

We've been told lies about our bodies: The Wednesday 1-2-3

Published over 2 years ago • 2 min read

Happy Wednesday Reader!

I wasn't sure where in the email to put this, so I'll put it here:

Longtime friend of The Wednesday 1-2-3, James A. Pearson has just published his first book of poetry titled The Wilderness That Bears Your Name — and it is an incredible gift to read.

Please check it out and pick up a copy if it resonates with you. (I've featured his poetry several times in The Wednesday 1-2-3: here, here, and here.)

Onward to our week's teaching, questions, and resources:

1. Teaching

Today’s teaching is an excerpt from Dr. Hillary McBride’s recent book, Practices for Embodied Living:

Here are some untruths we face in western culture:
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You are not your body.
You need to subdue and control your body because it is dangerous.
Some bodies are better than others.
Bodies must present within rigid binaries of gender.
Ideal women have sexual, young, thin, and fertile bodies.
Bodies are impure, and pleasure is sinful.
Appearance is all that matters about your body.
You should change your body.
Fat bodies are unhealthy.
Others get to decide what is best for your body.
Bodies get in the way of pure and right thinking…
​
The following stories open doors back into embodiment:
​
My body is mine; my body is me.
My body and my mind can be friends.
My body is a resource.
My body is a resistance.
My body is a sanctuary…
​
It is never too late to learn how to come back home to myself.

2. Questions

  1. How do you relate to the untruths McBride lists? What stories do you have that connect to these narratives or beliefs?
  2. How do you relate to the embodiment stories she shares? Which of these stories is hardest for you to believe or give yourself to?

3. Resources

⏪ If you missed last week's email:

I shared a teaching on the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention.
​

🧩 Community Question

As an invitation into storytelling, I'll be sharing a community question each week for the next month or so. If an answer or short story pops up for you in response, please share by hitting "reply!"

What is one thing you currently do to honor or take care of your body?

A big thank you to Ruth and January for sharing your responses to last week’s question about practices in the midst of crisis.

Upcoming Event:

Embodied Liberation:

Navigating the Impacts of Purity Culture

Purity Culture impacts each of us in unique ways – from how we see ourselves within the context of our communities, to the ways in which our bodies navigate pain, trauma, and our life's experiences.

With its many different "brands" and flavors, Purity Culture works to shape our reality into one that is human-denying and lacks both deep connection and solidarity.

In this workshop, we will be centering the stories of Purity Culture each of us come with and offering tools and practices for understanding their impacts on our bodies and ways we can begin to move beyond them.

When: April 7, 2024 | 4-5:30pm PT
​Where: Virtual Event
​Cost: $20 (Nobody will be turned away; let me know if you would like a discount code!)

A bit about my co-host Jenny McGrath:

Jenny is a licensed mental health counselor, a somatic psychotherapist, yoga instructor, and a Purity Culture and Christian Nationalism researcher based here in the Seattle area. She runs the Indwell Studio, which offers some of the best virtual body-based classes and teaching videos I've found.

Hope all is well-enough with you,

Andrew

IG: @andrewglang​

Gentle Change

Stay engaged without burning out.

If your work involves caring for others, you know how easy it is to become overwhelmed by the needs around you. Each week, I share stories and practices on building the capacity, relationships, and habits to sustain care over the long haul.

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