Who is that looking at me in the mirror

Oh dear, so I had started a blog about how we see ourselves and it got a little high-jacked by another topic. I've saved it, but seeing as it's not what I had set out to write about, I'll try again.

Jessica has been doing a series about body image and this morning I found myself, wondering who is that lady in the mirror! Some days she looks frumpy and some days she looks fat, but today she looked "slim enough"!

It got me thinking about how we see ourselves and how our moods play such an important role in what we see.

We have been in beginners class and seen the terror in faces when they are confronted by the full length studio mirrors (a very important rule - you may look at yourself and at the teacher, but not at anyone else - no comparing yourself to anyone else). The rule helps somewhat, and when we start laughing and dancing and getting to know each other over the 10week program, in most cases that terror abates. I have had students, prefer the only spot in the room without any mirror. (It's in front of the inter-leading door to my house) even if they get there early and can choose a spot, they still go in front of that door.

As women, we are constantly bombarded with images of what we should look like, an image that is unattainable for most of us! It takes hard work and commitment to love ourselves as we are. We find that being belly dancers helps a little. I say a little because sometimes those wounds run so deep, that your journey to self acceptance is long.